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Red Deer Rebels come back to beat Winnipeg ICE

Rebels 3 ICE 2
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Red Deer Rebels Chase Coward directs a shot into the corner during a Western Hockey League game against the Winnipeg ICE at the Peavey Mart Centrium Saturday night. (Photo by Sean McIntosh/Advocate staff)

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A third-period comeback lifted the Red Deer Rebels to a victory over one of the Western Hockey League’s top teams.

Despite trailing by two heading into the final period, Red Deer defeated the Winnipeg ICE 3-2 at the Peavey Mart Centrium Saturday. Winnipeg had the league’s highest point percentage coming into the game.

“The guys were excited in (the locker room after the game),” said head coach Steve Konowalchuk.

“They played hard right from the start. They didn’t get frustrated and they could have. They went out and played the way they needed to as individuals.”

A series of undisciplined plays put the Rebels behind early. After killing two minor penalties, Red Deer wasn’t able to hold off the high-powered Winnipeg offence on its third power play opportunity within the first 10 minutes of the game.

ICE forward Mikey Milne found a loose puck behind the net, powered his way to the front and found teammate Zachary Benson, who scored 8:03 into the game.

Winnipeg struck again on the power play five minutes into the second period, when Jack Finley tipped a beautiful shot-pass from Matthew Savoie past Rebels netminder Chase Coward.

Ben King scored his 36th of the season by finishing a pretty give-and-go play with linemate Arshdeep Bains to finally get Red Deer on the board 1:30 into the third period.

Rebels forward Dallon Melin tipped a point shot from teammate Christoffer Sedoff. Gage made the first save, but Melin jumped on his own rebound and scored his sixth goal of the season to tie the game 8:12 into the third.

With about nine minutes left in the game, King slid the puck off of Gage’s leg and in from behind the net to score his second of the game – and 37th of the season – to put Red Deer ahead.

King said Bains “made a good play down to me. I was kind of running out of room so I thought I may as well try to bank it off (the goalie) and cause some havoc. Luckily it went in.”

Winnipeg pulled its goalie in an effort to tie the game up late, but Coward and the Rebels hung on to the lead and picked up the win.

“That’s the top team in the league right now,” King said, adding he and his teammates wanted to show the rest of the league that the Rebels are a top team too.

“We’re excited in there. We’ve got to keep going and move Forward for the rest of the year.”

The Rebels will host the Regina Pats next Saturday at they Peavey Mart Centrium. Puck drop is 7 p.m.



sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com

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Sean McIntosh

About the Author: Sean McIntosh

Sean joined the Red Deer Advocate team in the summer of 2017. Originally from Ontario, he worked in a small town of 2,000 in Saskatchewan for seven months before coming to Central Alberta.
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