Ice power past Rebels to complete sweep

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This article was published 09/11/2022 (1123 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There was no championship at stake Wednesday night but Winnipeg Ice laid claim to the title of the best team in WHL’s Eastern Conference — for the moment at least.

The Ice scored four power-play goals on their way to a 7-4 victory over Red Deer and a two-game sweep of the Rebels at Wayne Fleming Arena.

The Rebels, who dropped a 3-1 decision Tuesday, entered the week’s action with a club record 15 consecutive victories to start the regular season.

Winnipeg, ranked No. 3 in the country, improved to 17-1-0-0.

“We knew coming into this two-game stretch here that they were ranked one (in the Canadian Hockey League), they were undefeated,” said overage left-winger Owen Pederson, who led the Ice with a career-high five points, including a pair of goals. “It was two big statement games for us and we got the job done both nights, so we’re happy.”

The Rebels made their task more difficult with a poor start, allowing the hosts to skate with little pushback.

During an opening 16-minute stretch in the first period, the Ice pumped in four goals in nine shots — one by Conor Geekie, two from Skyler Bruce and one from Pederson — to take a 4-0 lead.

“It was our best period of the year,” said Ice head coach James Patrick. “Just to see the urgency, intensity, skating, moving the puck and making plays and special teams on both sides — they were really good right off the bat.”

The visitors would temporarily stop the bleeding with Frantisek Formanek’s goal at 17:10 of the opening frame but serious damage was already done.

Jace Isley, with a pair, and Carson Birnie would help Red Deer pull to within one goal at 5-4 just 77 seconds into the third period but some ill-advised Red Deer penalties — including a slew-footing double minor to Formanek and a roughing minor to Quentin Bourne — helped seal the visitors’ fate.

Connor McClennon, with his second power-play goal of the game, and Pederson, with his first on the man advantage and second goal of the game, put the game out of reach in the third.

“We know a good team like that, they’re not gonna go away,” added Pederson. “But no one was worried. We were still positive on the bench and then when we got that power-play opportunity to get the two-goal lead again, that was huge.”

Rhett Stoesser made 24 saves in the Red Deer net while Winnipeg’s Daniel Hauser, who improved to 13-0-0-0 on the season, blocked 15 shots.

“I just thought our depth came through in the end,” said Patrick. “They had some pushback, they got it close with a one-goal game but we still found a way.”

Bruce, who now has five goals in 18 games, equalled a career high with three points.

“When Skyler moves his feet, he’s a good player,” said Patrick. “Skyler’s got great offensive instincts, he’s got real good hands… Besides the goals and points he put up this week, I liked the way he moved his feet. It was noticeably better and he’s a real good player when he plays like that.”

The two teams will meet only two more times this season. Both games — Jan. 28 and Feb. 21 — will be held at the Peavey Mart Centrium in Red Deer.

Next up for the Ice is Saturday’s game with the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings. Game time has been pushed back to 8:30 p.m. with the U of M men’s team slated to host the Calgary Dinos at 3 p.m.

BLUE-LINES: Rookie blue-liner Ashton Cumby drew back into the Ice lineup Wednesday, replacing an ailing Karter Prosofsky. Prosofsky suffered a lower-body injury blocking a shot in Tuesday’s game… Red Deer was 0-for-2 on the power play. Winnipeg scored four times in five chances.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14