The Red Deer Rebels cashed in four power play goals Saturday night as the team picked up its first win of the pre-season with a 5-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes at the Peavey Mart Centrium.
Beckett Hamilton opened the scoring 7:29 into the first period beating Hurricanes netminder Brady Smith on the power play.
Just over eight minutes later, Leo Braillard tied the game for the Hurricanes with the man advantage.
The game wouldn't stay tied for long. Samuel Drancak put the Rebels back on top beating Smith five-hole to give Red Deer a 2-1 lead heading into the intermission.
Hamilton would pick up his second power play marker of the night 5:50 into the second giving the Rebels a 3-1 lead. Hamilton's goal would be the eventual game winner.
Chase Peterson would make things interesting scoring for Lethbridge with just under seven minutes left in the second cutting the lead to 3-2.
Drancak would get his second goal of the night on the power play 4:03 into the final frame. The Rebels would add another power play goal a few minutes later with Jhett Larson firing home a perfect pass from Hamilton.
Rebels goalie Taylor Tabashniuk made 22 saves in his first start of the pre-season. Red Deer outshot Lethbridge 34-24 and was officially 4-for-8 on the power play while Lethbridge was 1-for-6.
Carson Birnie finished the night with three assists for the Rebels. Quentin Bourne added a helper as well.
Red Deer is now 1-1 in pre-season play. The Rebels pre-season continues Friday, September 13 at 7 p.m. at the Peavey Mart Centrium against Medicine Hat.
The Rebels have reassigned three players following this weekend’s preseason action — Tucker Tullikopf (Red Deer Chiefs U18 AAA), Cash Arcand-Vandale (Saskatoon Contacts U18 AAA) and Luke Jamieson (Edge School U18 AAA).
These moves leave the Rebels with 28 players on their pre-season roster, including six players headed to NHL camps.