It will be a quick hello and goodbye to the Lethbridge Hurricanes (3-2-0-0) for the Red Deer Rebels (4-3-1-0).
Red Deer has played the Hurricanes only once this season, a 2-1 overtime defeat in Lethbridge on Oct. 9.
After Friday’s tilt at the Peavey Mart Centrium, the two teams won’t play again until Dec. 10, more than a month between games for the division rivals who play eight times total this year.
Both teams come into Friday’s game with opposite results against the Edmonton Oil Kings. The Hurricanes were dropped 4-0 by Edmonton last Friday, while the Rebels pulled off a thrilling 2-1 win Sunday, thanks in large part to goaltender Connor Ungar.
Ungar has been a monster in the net for Red Deer to start the year. In a small sample size, the Calgary product has a 2-0-0-1 record with a minuscule 1.32 goals against average and a 0.960 save percentage. The only blemish on his record came against the Hurricanes in the OT loss, where he stopped 34 of 36 shots in his first appearance as a Rebel.
In the two games since then, Ungar has posted a pair of wins, allowing just one goal in each game.
Ungar was acquired by the Rebels from the Brandon Wheat Kings, in exchange for defenceman Mason Ward.
While Ungar has been stellar, his running mate Chase Coward has been no slouch either. In five games this year, Coward has a 2.44 GAA and an 0.912 SV% to go along with a tough-luck 2-3 record.
Both netminders should see action this weekend as the Rebels also host the Brandon Wheat Kings Saturday, with puck drop set for 7 p.m. at the Centrium. Red Deer also plays one of the top teams in the Canadian Hockey League Tuesday, when the Winnipeg Ice come to town.
Overage forward Blake Stevenson (two goals, five assists) and defenceman Christoffer Sedoff (one goal, six assists) led the Rebels with seven points each, while Justin Hall leads the way for Lethbridge with six (one goal, five assists). The Hurricanes won five out of the six games last year between the two clubs.