“It was an interesting game to say the least,” head coach Marc Habscheid said. “A few goals that went in were interesting, I guess. We made some mistakes on some other goals. We live and learn, and move onto tomorrow.”
Cole Tisdale got the nod between the pipes for Prince Albert, making his first appearance in a Raider uniform. Meanwhile Chase Wutzke got his first WHL start for the Rebels. The 15 year old was selected 40th overall by Red Deer in this year’s WHL Prospects draft. He made his first appearance in relief of Justen Maric in Saskatoon on Tuesday night, making 12 saves on 15 shots, picking up the win in their 7-6 come from behind shootout win in Saskatoon.
Tisdale didn’t get off to the start he was looking for in the first period. After making the first save of the game, Tisdale gave up a rebound right in front that Blake Stevenson pounced on. Stevenson worked across the crease, slipping a shot past the pad, opening the scoring just 25 seconds into the contest.
The Rebels went to work on a powerplay seven minutes later. Arshdeep Bains sent a rink wide pass to Ben King near the right circle, and he ripped a shot past Tisdale, as Red Deer took an early 2-0 lead.
After a physical stretch of play, the Raider managed to find their first goal of the game with 34 seconds left in the first period. Ozzy Wiesblatt sent a stretch pass ahead to linemate Sloan Stanick, who tore up the middle of the ice on a breakaway. Stanick faked a shot to the glove side, before pulling the puck back and beating Wutzke with a backhand shot past the blocker. Stanick’s tenth goal of the season gave the Raiders some life into the first intermission, trailing just 2-1 at the break.
“We had to (adjust), or they could’ve got 20 on us,” Habscheid said. “The first period wasn’t good, we weren’t happy with it at all. We were tentative, we were careful, and that’s not the Raider way. Our guys had enough of that, and we pushed back in the second and third.”
The momentum didn’t last long in the second period, as the Rebels struck just 2:24 into the period. The puck came into the slot and right to the stick of Kalan Lind, who fired home his seventh goal of the season. Red Deer regained their two goal lead, going up 3-1 early in the second.
A turnover in the Raider zone led to another chance for the Rebels to add another goal in the second period, and that’s exactly what they did. Jhett Larson was the beneficiary of a puck in the slot. He took it and worked his way in on Tisdale. Making a forehand to backhand move, Larson tucked home his eighth goal of the season. Red Deer took complete control of the game, going up 4-1 just 4:39 into the second period.
King served a high sticking penalty in the second period for the Rebels, giving the Raiders a chance to pull closer on the man advantage. It was the Rebels getting a two on one break at the other end to start things off, however. Tisdale was forced to make the save of the night, diving across the crease, and making a paddle save on Jayden Grubbe.
The Raiders came back on the same powerplay, and it was Hayden Pakkala redirecting an Ozzy Wiesblatt shot home, pulling the Raiders back to within two goals. Pakkala’s fifth goal of the year made it a 4-2 Rebels lead.
Under three minutes later and the Raiders on another powerplay, Red Deer found the shorthanded goal they were looking for earlier. Miscommunication between Nolan Allan and Tisdale right in front of the net led to Jace Isley stripping the puck and poking it home. Isley’s shorthanded tally and fifth of the year made it a 5-2 Red Deer lead. Tisdale saw his night come to an end after giving up the fifth goal on 19 shots, receiving a tap on the pads from Wiesblatt as Tikhon Chaika came on in relief.
The second period also saw a monkey come off a back in the form of Vlad Shilo’s first WHL goal. Grabbing a loose puck in tight, Shilo deked before backhanding a shot past Wutzke. The 18 year old Belerusian was pumped after getting his first, and it brought the Raiders back to within a pair with just over four minutes left in the middle frame.
The Rebels hung onto their two goal edge, leading 5-3 after two periods.
Prince Albert pulled to within one goal early in the second period. From under the goal line, Stanick worked his way towards the crease and roofed a backhand shot far side, over Wutzke’s glove. His second of the night made it a 5-2 Rebels lead, with 16:26 left in regulation.
Less than a minute later, the Rebels created an odd man rush in the Prince Albert end. Liam Keeler fought through bodies in front and banged home his tenth goal of the year. Just like that, Red Deer went back up by two, leading 6-4.
Carter Anderson made it back to back goals for the Rebels, scoring just a couple minutes after Keeler’s marker. For the third time in the game, Red Deer led by three goals, as they went ahead 7-4.
With 11:29 to go, Stevenson entered the zone and let go a soft shot from long distance. It somehow found it’s way past Chaika’s blocker and into the back of the net. It was a save that Chaika should’ve made, and he knew it right away. Either way, the Rebels went up 8-4 midway through the third on Stevenson’s second goal of the night.
Shilo later added another goal with 2:39 left in the third period. A nice setup from Tyson Laventure led to Shilo’s second of the night, making it an 8-5 deficit.
The Belarusian beauty wasn’t done there, as he connected on a pass from Carson Latimer in front. A perfectly redirected shot top corner gave Shilo his third goal of the game for his first career WHL hat trick, making it an 8-6 game.
“I was happy for him,” Habscheid said of Shilo. “He’s a guy that comes over and wanted to score. He had to get used to our game (compared to Europe). A lot of times Euros want to play their game here and it doesn’t work. You have to adapt, and he’s getting there. I thought this was his best game, but not just because of the goals. He did a lot of things that he needed to do, and he was rewarded for it.”
The Raiders won’t have much time to think about Wednesday’s game, as they travel to Saskatoon on Thursday for a meeting with the Blades, the fourth game in five games against each other.
Puck drop is at 7pm.
@kyle_kosowan•sports@paherald.sk.ca
