Skip to content

Red Deer Rebels fall to Medicine Hat Tigers in shootout

Tigers 4 Rebels 3 (SO)
27490670_web1_211211-RDA-Rebels-Tigers1-WEB
Red Deer Rebels forward Ben King skates away from Medicine Hat Tigers forward Steven Arp during Western Hockey League action at the Peavey Mart Centrium Saturday night. (Photo by Sean McIntosh/Advocate staff)

Tigers 4 Rebels 3 (SO)

The Red Deer Rebels gave up a late tying goal en route to a shootout loss against the Medicine Hat Tigers Saturday night.

“You win some in overtime, you lose some in a shootout. It doesn’t feel good when you lose, but (the game’s) designed to get someone to win,” Rebels coach Steve Konowalchuk said after his team’s loss at the Peavey Mart Centrium.

“It’s a little bit of a frustrating loss, but we did some good things in the second and third periods.”

The Rebels were leading 3-2 in the final minutes, but Tigers forward Ashton Ferster tied things up 18:34 into the third period, when his shot from the wall banked off of a Red Deer defender’s stick and into the net.

Before the goal, on-ice officials called icing against the Rebels even though the puck did not make it all the way to the red line, which led to a faceoff back in the Red Deer zone. The goal was scored shortly after.

“We were in a position to win that game and we would like that call to not happen. Looking at a replay, it’s supposed to get to the red line. But we were in a position to win the game and we didn’t,” Konowalchuk said.

Tigers forward Oren Shtrom opened the scoring when he capitalized on an early power play opportunity. He received a cross-ice pass from teammate Oasiz Wiesblatt and wired a shot past Rebels goaltender Chase Coward.

Red Deer defenceman Jace Weir beat Tigers goaltender Garin Bjorklund 9:09 into the second period by firing a slap shot from the blue line into the top corner.

Medicine Hat’s Luke Rybinski was issued a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct for kneeing Jace Isley a minute and a half after the Rebels tied the game at one. Red Deer was unable to score on the power play. Isley did return to action.

Dallon Melin was given a minor penalty for slashing with about three minutes left in the second. After killing the penalty, Red Deer’s Blake Stevenson spotted Melin coming out of the penalty box and sent him on a breakaway. Melin beat Bjorklund with a wrist shot over his right shoulder to put the Rebels in front.

“It’s kind of what you dream of coming out of the penalty box. I was nervous on the PK, but the boys bailed me out and set me up on the breakaway,” said Melin, who has scored in two straight games – his first two goals of the season.

“I feel like I was snakebitten for a while there, but I was getting chances. It’s good to see (the puck) go into the net. But I can’t really focus on scoring all the time, I’ve just got to play hard and the goals will come hopefully.”

Shtrom scored his second of the game 11:10 into the third, tapping home a rebound after Wiesblatt was denied on a breakaway.

A minute after the tying goal, Arshdeep Bains one-timed a beautiful pass from Ben King into the Tigers net to regain the Rebels’ one-goal lead.

Neither team could score in overtime after Ferster scored to tie the game late in the third. In the shootout, Red Deer went 0/3 and Lukas Svejkovsky scored the lone goal, lifting Medicine Hat to a 4-3 win.

The three stars were Dallon Melin (1), Oren Shtrom (2) and Jace Weir (3).

The Rebels will host the Swift Current Broncos at the Peavey Mart Centrium Wednesday. Puck drop is 7 p.m.



sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter

27490670_web1_211211-RDA-Rebels-Tigers3
Medicine Hat Tigers goaltender Garin Bjorklund stops Red Deer Rebels forward Arshdeep Bains during Western Hockey League action at the Peavey Mart Centrium Saturday night. (Photo by Sean McIntosh/Advocate staff)
27490670_web1_211211-RDA-Rebels-Tigers2
Red Deer Rebels forward Liam Keeler and Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman Gleb Ivanov collide along the boards during Western Hockey League action at the Peavey Mart Centrium Saturday night. (Photo by Sean McIntosh/Advocate staff)


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.
Read more