Rebels 4 Pats 2
The Red Deer Rebels (15-8-1-0) had been on the wrong side of their past two games, but it was not from a lack of effort.
That effort finally paid dividends Saturday at the Peavey Mart Centrium, cruising past the Regina Pats (9-11-0-0) in a 4-2 victory.
“It was good to get back in the win column, put an end to that. Help our week. We have a week here to do some practice and it’s always easier to work after a win,” said Rebels head coach Steve Konowalchuk.
“I thought our guys came out pretty strong, definitely made it harder on ourselves in the second half with some of our decisions, causing us to defend a little bit. At the end of the day, that team pushed hard and they had a pretty active D that can open it up.
Overall, we got a win and it’s never easy to win and it’s important.”
Ben King and Arshdeep Bains have been the straw that stirs the Rebels’ drink this season and that continued Saturday, as Bains picked up a goal and two assists and King notched his 16th goal of the season. The 20-year-old Bains has nine points in his last six games and leads the team with 26.
“Bains is competing at both ends and if he uses his skill and speed on the cycle and making smart plays, he can be a handful,” Konowalchuk said.
The game started with a bang– a fight just 1:44 in between Dallon Melin and Adam McNutt and really never settled after that. It was a physical, feisty and chippy affair throughout the night.
“When there’s fights, it just gets the boys going, that’s a huge part and he’s a huge player on our team and that really got us going,” said Bains, who was first star on the night.
Red Deer drew first blood, with Liam Keeler potting his eighth of the season just 13 seconds after the fight. Ryker Evans responded at 7:05 for the Pats, a chip shot that fluttered past Chase Coward on Regina’s first shot of the game.
Only 50 seconds later, Bains sprung Jace Isley who buried off the post and in for his second goal of the campaign to restore Red Deer’s advantage.
Bains created more offense in the second, following up on his own rebound on the power play.
The 20-year-old winger was at it again in the third period, just missing on a wraparound attempt that bounced out to Ben King, who buried his team-leading 16th goal of the year past Sim. King now has six goals in his last six games.
Bains said his line, along with King and Larson has really found something special so far this season.
“Just using our speed and making plays. We always know where each other are, looking for each other and we’re having fun out there,” Bains said.
Borya Valis potted a rebound for the Pats with just 2:41 left in the game. Coward picked up his ninth win of the season in the Rebels net, making 31 saves on the night.
Three stars: Bains (1), Isley (2) Sedoff (3).
The Rebels are off until next Friday, when they host the Moose Jaw Warriors.
byron.hackett@reddeeradvocate.com
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