Lane Zablocki had a smile a mile wide post-game on Saturday night.
The 19-year-old winger torched his former club with a beautiful goal in overtime to power Red Deer to a 4-3 overtime win over the Regina pats.
Zablocki blew by Jake Leschyshyn and went short side right underneath the crossbar to win the second straight game in OT for the Rebels. It was his sixth of the season and fourth in his last three games.
“When you play against your old team it’s always a game that’s easy to get up for, hard fought game and big character win for our team,” said Zablocki, who now has 10 points in 14 games.
It was also the fourth time in this young WHL season that the Rebels trailed after 40 minutes and went on to win.
While they collected two points, Rebels GM/head coach Brent Sutter was not at all happy with the path his team took to the victory.
Red Deer was out shot 27-15 after two periods and had far too many turnovers.
“When you look at the game, when you look at the amount of turnovers and scoring chances that were created from turnovers – after two periods we were sitting at almost 20,” Sutter said.
“That’s a recipe for not having success. In the third, we played the right way and we pushed. Our goalie kept us in it and we did things the right way in the third, limited their scoring chances and created some of our own.”
Rebels goalie Ethan Anders made 28 saves and was at the top of his game for the second straight night as he picked up his fourth win of the year and was the first star.
“Our goalie was terrific again, he played great,” Sutter said.
Hunter Donohoe scored his first career WHL goal early in the first. The 17-year-old collected his own rebound and slid it past Regina netminder Tyler Brown. The goal was the first by a Rebels’ defenceman this season, although Donohoe was deployed up front for the majority of the game Saturday.
Rebels newcomer Jack Flaman made it 2-0 late in the first while short handed. The 20-year-old center flew down the wing and fired a wrist shot just under Brown’s glove.
Despite leading 2-0 in the first, the Rebels were in trouble from the puck drop and really needed Anders to hold them in it.
“Inconsistency in our work ethic and our team play. We won 4-3 and that’s all great, but I’m not happy with the fact that you get away with playing 22 minutes plus overtime,” Sutter said.
“I thought the first 38 minutes we weren’t very good. Not hard enough, our work ethic wasn’t where it needed to be. Personally, I just want a team that plays harder and is going to compete for 60 minutes and battle. Not be pushed around.”
The Pats cut the deficit in half 38 seconds after Flaman’s marker on a Dawson Davidson seeing-eye wrist shot through traffic that got past Rebels goalie Ethan Anders.
Former Rebels defenceman Josh Mahura struck 20 seconds into a five-on-three power play early in the second to tie the game at two and Robbie Holmes got credit for a redirection past Anders midway through the frame.
Early in the third on just their second power play of the night, Alex Alexeyev made a perfect pass to a streaking Grayson Pawlenchuk who tipped it in to tie the game at three. In his first two games since returning from an injury, Alexeyev has an assist.
Brandon Hagel missed the game for the Rebels due to an illness, while Pats captain Sam Steel was also out with an injury.
The Rebels hit the road right after the game Saturday night and will be in Cranbrook Sunday to take on the Kootenay Ice. Puck drop is 4 p.m.
Email sports tips to Byron Hackett
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter