Rebels get past Canes

In what’s looking more and more like a preview of the first round of the Western Hockey League playoffs, the Red Deer Rebels prevailed over the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

The Rebels snapped a 1-1 tie with a shorthanded goal early in the second period on their way to a 4-1 win over the Hurricanes Friday night at the Enmax Centre.

The loss is the Hurricanes fourth in a row and drops them to 32-29-60.

After falling behind 1-0 Friday night the Rebels replied with four unanswered goals including a pair in the third period to continue their surge heading into the post season.

The Canes were first on the board on Calen Addison’s ninth of the season 13:38 into the first period.

But the Rebels tied things up before the first period was over as Kristian Reichel netted his 30th of the season with 2:59 to go in the first period.

Lethbridge went to the power play early in the second, but it was the Rebels who went up 2-1 as Brandon Hagel cashed in shorthanded for a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes.

Rebels’s leading scorer Mason McMarty went to work in the third, netting the insurance goal 13:28 into the third period and adding an empty-netter with 1:28 to go to give him 37 goals on the season.

Addison’s ninth goal matched last year’s output for the second-year defenceman. After 33 points least season, he’s almost doubled that with 61 points in 63 games.

The Hurricanes outshot the Rebels 27-26 as goaltender Logan Flodell stopped 22 of 25 shots.

The Canes are back at the Enmax Centre tonight at 7 p.m. when the Regina Pats come to town.

Regina, currently kicked out of their home at the Brandt Centre for the Tim Horton’s Brier, defeated the Kootenay Ice 2-1 Friday night in Cranbrook.

They are 36-25-5-1 and 7-2-0-1 in their last 10 games.

Herald photo by Tijana Martin Ty Perfontaine, of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, checks Zak Smith of the Red Deer Rebels into the player's bench during a game at the Enmax Centre on Friday night.