Rebels top the Canes in OT

By Dale Woodard on December 11, 2021.

For the third straight game the Lethbridge Hurricanes went to overtime, but this time they didn’t get the second point.

Through a video challenge, though, they hoped to keep battling for that second point.

The Canes were topped 3-2 in overtime by the Red Deer Rebels in Western Hockey League action Friday night at the Enmax Centre.

Red Deer’s Kalan Lind scored with 11 seconds left in the five-on-five for what stood up as the game-winner.

The Hurricanes called for a video review, claiming the play had gone offside, but the goal stood as the Rebels headed out of town with the extra point.

The OT loss puts the Hurricanes at 10-11-2-0, while the Rebels improve to 17-9-1-0, keeping a firm grip on third place in the WHL Eastern Conference.

Friday night’s game also gave the announced crowd of 2,908 the chance to see affiliated player Miguel Marques, who the Hurricanes selected in the first round and 10th overall in the WHL Prospects Draft Thursday morning.

Currently playing with the Delta Hockey Academy U17 Prep, Marques flew into Lethbridge in time for Friday’s game.

He skated on a line with Noah Boyko and Jett Jones and had two prime scoring chances in the first period, ending the night with three shots on goal. That earned Marques the third star honours.

The teams swapped power play goals to start and the Rebels got things rolling as Arshdeep Bains scored 6:26 into the first for a 1-0 lead.

But with Rebel Jace Isley cooling his heels in the box for kneeing, Boyko pulled with Canes even with his ninth of the season with 6:53 remaining in the first to knot it at 1-1.

Marques had a chance to score in his WHL debut on a partial break down the left wing, but Rebels goaltender Connor Ungar was able to get a glove on the chance and keep it 1-1.

Marques almost struck again with a little over three minutes left in the first, but this time his shot rolled past Ungar, through the crease and stayed out.

The Hurricanes grabbed a 2-1 lead with 2:31 left in the first when Alex Thacker backhanded a close-in chance past Ungar as the hosts carried a one-goal lead into the first intermission despite being outshot 18-8.

The Rebels evened it up 9:12 into the second when Dallon Mellin tapped home his first of the season off a feed from Blake Gustafson to make it 2-2.

The teams battled through a scoreless third period as the Canes outshot the Rebels 12-11.

The Hurricanes were called upon to kill a pair of penalties in the final 4:56 to get it to overtime as Trevor Thurston was called for charging and right after that, Logan Barlage headed to the box for tripping.

Just when it looked like the teams were headed to a shootout, Lind hung on to the puck long enough to send a shot high and past Thomson for the game winner in the final seconds of three-on-three overtime for his sixth goal of the season.

Despite the call for a video review, the goal stood, drawing a chorus of boos from fans making their way out of the arena.

The Rebels outshot the Hurricanes 39-30.

The Hurricanes were 0-for-3 on the power play, while the Rebels were 1-for-6 on the man advantage.

Thomson stopped 36 of 39 shots, while Ungar made 28 saves.

Thacker also had an assist for a two-point night.

The Hurricanes are back home next Friday when they host the Medicine Hat Tiger and head to Medicine Hat the next night for the rematch in their final game before Christmas.

Follow @@DWoodardHerald on Twitter

Comments are closed.