Third period goals help Canes to win

By Lethbridge Herald on December 14, 2024.

Herald photo by Justin Seward Red Deer Rebels Cole Peardon falls on Lethbridge Hurricanes goaltender Jackson Unger as Talon Brigley watches during WHL action at VisitLethbridge.com Arena on Friday night.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge Hurricanes came away with a gritty 4-1 win over the Red Deer Rebels on Friday night at VisitLethbridge.com Arena to go a perfect 4-0 on their four-game homestand this month.

Trae Johnson got the game winner 9:32 into the third period to give the Canes a 2-1 lead at that point in the game and help propel to the win.

“Obviously it’s a big goal but yeah just got to maintain it after that,” said Johnson,.

“I thought the team played well and did a good job.”

The Canes had to adjust to Red Deer’s physical style all night long.

“Hard games like that really makes your team strong and shows who you are,” said Johnson.

Canes assistant coach Matt Anholt talked about the persistence.

“I thought it was pretty similar to Wednesday … where we’re really good defensively but we were having problems just finishing that last play off to maybe put the game away a little bit and then obviously Johnny scores,” said Anholt.

“Then I thought the poweplay goal, the third goal, was just an excellent job because you need your powerplay to have that killer instinct … and score that goal at that moment to put the game to bed.”

Brayden Edwards opened the scoring just 1:56 into the game when he went down and roofed it shorthanded to give Lethbridge an early 1-0 lead.

Shane Smith and Jackson Unger assisted on Edwards 14th goal of the year.

The Rebels tied the game at one when Trae Wilke took the puck off the face-off win and wristed the puck from the circle passed Unger at 7:19 of the first.

Cole Peardon assisted on Wilke’s fourth goal of the season.

Johnson broke the tie 9:32 into the third period to give the Canes a 2-1 lead.

Kash Andresen and Grady Pichette notched the assists on the goal.

Hayden Pakkala extended the Canes lead to 3-1 on the powerplay with his sixth of the season from Shane Smith and Tristen Doyle at the 11:36 mark of the third period.

Logan Wormald scored his 17th of the season into an empty net to make the score 4-1.

Lethbridge went 1-for-3 while Red Deer went 0-for-4on the powerplay.

Canes forward Miguel Marques left Wednesday night’s games with what the team has classified as an upper body injury and he did not dress Friday.

“He’s going to be out for a while,” said Anholt.

“He’ll hopefully  be back sometime in the end of January (or) the start of February but he has … a road ahead of him.”

The Canes will now play a home and home with the Medicine Hat Tigers beginning tonight on the road and back in Lethbridge on Sunday for a 6 p.m. puck drop to wrap up play before the Christmas break.