Bartosak blanks the Raiders in playoff opener
Rebels goalie Patrik Bartosak showed why he is the Eastern nominee for WHL goalie of the year with a 31 save shutout in a 3-0 Red Deer win over the Raiders in their playoff opener.
The home side got the 5,492 fans out of their seats after they barely sat down with a goal just :25 into the game. Brooks Maxwell deflected a Brady Gaudet shot from the left point past Raider goalie Luke Siemens after the Rebels won a face off in the Prince Albert zone.
Siemens would give his team a chance to come back stopping Rebels sniper Rhyse Dieno on a penalty shot as the 27 goal man in the regular season tired to go forehand-backhand-corner but Siemens out-guessed him.
After pressure in the Red Deer zone the Rebels would take a 2-0 lead at 19:04 of the opening period when Turner Elson would move around Raider defenseman Sawyer Lange on a 2-on-2 break, Elson fell when challenged by Josh Morrissey, but the puck went right to Dieno who sniped into the top corner.