Wheaties hang on to tame Rebels

The Brandon Wheat Kings finally closed out out a game in Red Deer, beating the Rebels 2-1 in Western Hockey League action at Marchant Crane Centrium on Tuesday to win their seventh game in a row.

Brandon (18-11-1-0) received its goals from Joby Baumuller and Jimmy Egan, with Ty Coupland replying for Red Deer (10-17-1-2) in front of a crowd of 3,015.

It had been more than three years since the Wheat Kings won in the building, a 4-2 Brandon victory on Nov. 19, 2022. They lost the last five games by either one or two goals, twice by goals in the final minute.

Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray said it was nice to leave Red Deer with two points. The game may have turned on a call by the video goal judge, a fate that wasn’t as kind to the visitors a year ago.

“It was almost a carbon copy of the last time we were here,” Murray said with a chuckle. “It could have been a controversial one. The puck lay around on the goal line and thankfully we got the call going our way.

“It’s tight and you never know what’s going to happen here. There have been some weird ones and they seem to be tight right to the end, and low scoring.”

In the opening minutes, Baumuller, the reigning WHL player of the week, hit a crossbar and was denied by Red Deer goalie Matthew Kondro on a two-on-one moments later as Brandon established some early momentum.

The Wheat Kings ended up with a 97-second five-on-three and Brandon patiently moved the puck around until, with a second left in the second penalty, Baumuller blasted a one-timer past Kondro nine minutes 56 seconds into the game.

Three minutes later, defenceman Dylan Ronald ripped a heavy shot from the slot that prompted the goal judge to flip on the goal light but the puck actually hit the bar and the referee rightfully waved it off.

The Rebels tied the game before the period ended, with Coupland backhanding a shot that snuck through Brandon goalie Filip Ruzicka off a scrambled rush.

The Wheat Kings had a glorious chance to take the lead 3:58 into the middle frame when big rookie forward Prabh Bhathal was tripped by Kondro on a breakaway and awarded a penalty shot.

The Winnipegger ultimately made a move too many and the puck rolled on him, so he didn’t get a good shot away and was denied.

Brandon regained the lead 18:51 into the middle frame when Bhathal did some hard work down low and got the puck up to defenceman Nigel Boehm, whose snapshot from the blue-line hit the skate of Egan in front and bounced in.

Murray was happy to see his fourth line get rewarded.

“They’ve been working really hard and they spent a lot of time in the O-zone playing against the other team’s lines, and we don’t have the matchup on the road, so it’s any from the first to fourth they’re going to get and they worked exceptionally well,” Murray said. “It was just a good hard-working goal. Egan goes to the front of the net and it goes in off his foot and in those tight, low-scoring, one-goal games, it’s a common theme.”

The Wheat Kings nearly widened the lead on a power play to start the third period but Jaxon Jacobson hit a post during a wild scramble, the third time they had been denied by the iron.

The Rebels got a 24-second, five-on-three power play of their own seven minutes into the third period, but the Wheat Kings killed both minors without allowing a shot.

While it took Red Deer 11 minutes to finally put the puck on net, they did end up with some good looks on their seven shots in the final frame.

Coupland hit a post with seven minutes left, and with 3:38 remaining, a quick shot ended up under Ruzicka’s pad. The goal light came on and the Rebels celebrated after a late poke but a video review agreed with the referee’s ruling that it was no goal.

Both teams took penalties in the ensuing mayhem, and they played four-on-four for the next two minutes as the Rebels looked for the equalizer.

Red Deer pulled the goalie with 2:52 left and while Nick Johnson missed his team’s only attempt at the open net, the Wheat Kings didn’t give up any Grade A chances in their own end and killed the clock.

“I thought it was a pretty gritty road effort,” Murray said. “We didn’t give up a ton. I thought we had quite a few chances in the first period and we weren’t able to bear down and score. I think we hit three or four posts through the night but we found a way. Winning those close games is important too and closing them out, I thought we did a good job.

“We had a kill or two in the third and at the end of the game when it was four-on-four they had the extra man out there so I thought our guys did a good job of eating pucks and blocking shots and paying the price.

“There was a lot of excitement on the bench and it’s fun to see the kids root for each other and makes you want to do the same when you get out on the ice.”

Ruzicka made 26 saves for the Wheat Kings, with Kondro stopping 23 shots for the Rebels. Brandon went 1-for-5 on the power play, with Red Deer unsuccessful in four chances.

ICINGS: Brandon skated without injured D Merrek Arpin and D Adam Hlinsky, plus healthy scratches D Cam Allard, F Gunnar Gleasman and F Ryan Boyce … Red Deer was without world juniors scratches D Matus Lisy (Slovakia) and F Samuel Drancak (Czechia) plus the recently injured F Jaxon Fuder and F Kohen Lodge … Wheat Kings captain Caleb Hadland played his 200th career WHL game in Red Deer, a short drive from his hometown of Sylvan Lake … Baumuller led the Wheat Kings with three shots on net … The game took two hours, 24 minutes to play … In the faceoff circle, Brandon won 33-26 … Brandon meets the Medicine Hat Tigers on Wednesday and the Calgary Hitmen on Friday, then begin its Christmas break … On Monday, the Calgary Hitmen sent 18-year-old forward Brandon Gorzynski, who is committed to Arizona State next season, to the Prince Albert Raiders for 17-year-old Ty Meunier of St. Albert, Alta., a second-round pick in 2026 and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2027.

» pbergson@brandonsun.com

 

TUESDAY
Wheat Kings 2, Rebels 1
First Period
1. Brandon, Baumuller 23 (Mistelbacher) 9:56.
2. Red Deer, Coupland 8 (unassisted) 17:58.
Penalties — Turko Bdn (holding) 5:02, Brigley RD (hooking) 7:34, Vlooswyk RD (delay of game) 7:57, Lavoie Bdn (tripping) 13:22, Gard RD (slashing) 14:25.
Second Period
3. Brandon, Egan 2 (Boehm, Bhathal) 18:51.
Penalty shot: 3:58, Bdn Bhathal, miss.
Penalties — Ronald Bdn (roughing) 10:49, MacSwain RD (roughing) 10:49, Burzynski Bdn (roughing) 20:00, Ronald Bdn (roughing) 20:00, McInnis RD (roughing) 20:00, Vlooswyk RD (roughing, unsportsmanlike conduct) 20:00.
Third Period
No Scoring.
Penalties — McInnis RD (tripping) 5:09, Hadland Bdn (holding the stick) 6:01, Pantelas Bdn (holding) 7:37, Ruzicka Bdn (roughing) 16:22, McInnis RD (roughing) 16:22.
Shots on goal by
Brandon     9     12    4     —     25
Red Deer     10     10     7     —     27
Goal — Brandon: Ruzicka (W, 14-4-0-0). Red Deer: Kondro (L, 5-7-1-1).
Power plays (goals-chances) — Brandon: 1-5; Red Deer: 0-4.
Referees — Taylor Burzminski, Brody McGrath.
Linesmen — Ty Elliot, Dyson Zukiwsky.
Attendance — 3,015 in Red Deer.