Tri-City entered on a four-game road losing streak, while Red Deer was playing its best hockey of the season with wins in four of its last five. This was also the lone matchup between the two teams this year, setting the stage for a good one in Red Deer. Tri-City would come out on top though 5–3 in a game where they never trailed, thanks in large part to strong performances from Connor Dale and Xavier Wendt.
First Period
Overager Connor Dale, appearing in his 200th career game, opened the scoring on Tri-City’s first shot of the night.
Using his speed, Dale stepped through the defense and from a slightly sharp angle roofed it over Peyton Shore just over six minutes in for goal number seventeen.
Moments later, Tri-City turned the puck over, allowing Tyson Yaremko to stand alone in front of the net but Wendt stayed calm and made a huge blocker save to preserve the lead.
Just a minute after that, Slovakian World Junior forward Matus Lisy tied the game for Red Deer as the shots reached 11–1 in favor of the Rebels.
Matej Mikes fired from the slot, Wendt made the initial save, but the rebound popped right to Lisy in the left circle, where he fired through traffic to tie the game.
A series of late penalties resulted in shortened power plays for both teams, but the period ended with the score 1–1 and Red Deer leading the shot clock 21–12.
Second Period
Early in what would be an eventful second period, Red Deer appeared to score off a rebound, but the goal was waved off as Kalder Varga batted the puck in with his hand. After review, the call was confirmed.
Peyton Shore then made a highlight-reel save to rob Cash Koch, getting just enough of his left pad on a close-range one-timer off a centering feed.
Tri-City reclaimed the lead on the power play.
From the near boards, Dylan LeBret attempted a backdoor pass that was blocked, but the puck slid right to Grady Martin in the slot, who slipped it five-hole on Shore for his sixth of the season.
Not long after, Tri-City went shorthanded, but the Rebels’ power play backfired. On a two-on-one, Dale slid a backhand pass across to Garland, who hammered it past a sprawled-out Shore for Tri-City’s fourth shorthanded goal of the season. Garland now has goals in back-to-back games.
Dale continued to cause problems, earning another clear-cut breakaway—his second of the game—but Shore turned him aside this time.
Red Deer answered back on their second power play of the period. After the puck worked its way out front, Yaremko gathered it and slipped it past Wendt into a wide-open net.
Immediately after giving up the goal, Tri-City returned to the penalty kill after Cash Koch took exception to a late bump on Wendt. That power play, however, was quickly wiped out when Yaremko hooked Grady Martin, sending the teams to four-on-four for 1:37 and giving Tri-City 23 seconds of power-play time.
Special teams dominated the period, but Tri-City carried a 3–2 lead into the third and entered the final frame with a 14–2 record when leading after two.
Third Period
Despite trailing 3–1 earlier, Red Deer tied the game just 3:57 into the third on a strange bounce.
A weak shot that missed the net ricocheted off the end boards and right to Beckett Hamilton, the Rebels’ leading scorer, who buried it to make it 3–3.
Wendt was then rocked by Kalder Varga as Red Deer generated a quick chance, resulting in a Tri-City power play—and they made it count.
Jakub Vanecek fired from the point, the shot deflected off Martinson, and the puck bounced right to Cruz Pavao in the left circle. Pavao ripped it past an out-of-position Shore to restore the lead. After a cold stretch, Pavao has been heating up on this road trip, now with seven points in his past three games.
Wendt later made a massive right-pad save on a backdoor chance from Hamilton with the Red Deer net empty to keep Tri-City in front.
Pavao sealed the win when Varga’s point shot struck him, allowing him to collect the puck and skate it into the empty net for his second of the night, making it 5–3.
Post Game / What’s Next
Tri-City snapped its four-game road losing streak with the 5–3 win, never trailing at any point. Depending on Prince George’s result against Kamloops, the Americans could finish the night tied for third in the West with a 22-15-3-1 record.
Dale marked his 200th WHL game with a three-point performance. Gavin Garland stayed hot with another goal and now has points in 12 of his last 14 games. Wendt delivered another stellar outing, stopping 42 shots.
Tri-City went 2/5 on the power play and held Red Deer to 1/4, another strong special-teams showing.
The Americans close out their Central Division road trip tomorrow night in Edmonton, where they’ll face two former Tri-City players—Max Curran and Austin Zemlak—at 6:00 PM Pacific.
