Raiders 4 Rebels 1 (Prince Albert wins best-of-seven series 4-0)
The Red Deer Rebels were simply overwhelmed by the Prince Albert Raiders.
In a do-or-die Game 4 at the Centrium, the Raiders were the better team for the fourth straight game and swept away the Rebels in the Eastern Conference quarterfinal with a 4-1 win.
It was an unceremonious exit for the Rebels on home ice. After they struggled in the second half of the season and limped into final WHL Playoff wild-card spot, they never were not abe to get much going against a much stronger Prince Albert group.
“There’s no consolation in losing. You go through the series, it’s a very good team we’re playing. I would have certainly liked a different matchup in the first round if we had have been a better team from Christmas on,” Rebels GM/head coach Brent Sutter said.
“I thought we played one game in the series, where we played a real good 60 minutes… (Wednesday) for two periods we were there but in the third period, it’s three goals against you. It sums up what we were as a team from Christmas on.”
Red Deer still never quit in Game 4, grabbing a lead for the first time in the best-of-seven series late in the first period.
Jeff de Wit notched his first goal of the series, for his hometown team when they needed it. With time winding down in the first, Brandon Hagel found his 21-year-old linemate and de Wit blasted a one-timer past Ian Scott.
Some controversy struck midway through the second that went against the home side. A scrum broke out between Hagel, de Wit and Raiders captain Brayden Pachal before a Rebels’ defensive zone faceoff. After the players were separated, Red Deer couldn’t make a change and on the ensuing faceoff, Ozzy Wiesblatt dove and batted home his third goal of the series to tie the game at one.
“They changed their two D and (Brett Iverson) had his hand up in the air, so they can’t change after that and we’re allowed a change. Their two other D slipped out once Hags’ line came on, then he wouldn’t let us make a line change,” Sutter said of the controversy.
“It was a bad mistake on his part. An experienced ref can’t make a mistake like that at any time, let alone in playoffs. Puck ends in the back of our net. Not saying that was the reason, but you don’t get the matchups. I wanted a different line on the ice.”
For Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid it was the goal from his 16-year-old forward that really started to swing the momentum in his groups’ favour.
“Early, we knew they’d push. They were up against the wall and they did, they had a good push. They were taking runs and running around a bit and I didn’t think we responded as good as we could have,” said Habscheid.
“As the game got going, we tried to keep pace and keep being involved. I think after we got settled in, we started to take it to them.”
Just 58 seconds into the third, Sean Montgomery pushed a loose puck into the slot and Brett Leason buried the go-ahead goal past Ethan Anders. Leason missed Game 3 with after a one-game suspension for a hit on Cam Hausinger in Game 2.
Hagel nearly drove wide and tucked a shot past Scott midway through the third, but was assessed a goalie interference penalty on the play and it proved costly for Red Deer.
On the ensuing advantage, Leason notched his second of the night with a backhand over Anders glove.
“Just being around the net, that’s pretty much how it is. Grabbing the puck and shooting on net,” said Leason of his two goals on the night.
Cole Fonstad added an empty-net goal with 3:34 after the puck hopped over Dawson Barteaux’s stick behind the Rebels net. Fonstad had two points in the win for Prince Albert.
Anders did all he could to keep his team in the game, turning aside 33 shots in the loss. Ian Scott stopped 21 in the win for the Raiders.
The three stars on the night were the Rebels forwards in their final game at the Centrium, Brandon Hagel (1), Reese Johnson (2) and Jeff de Wit (3).
The Saskatoon Blades also swept the Moose Jaw Warriors and they will play Prince Albert in the second round.
Email sports tips to Byron Hackett
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