Rebels win Beasts of the East contest by shutting out Raiders

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“We can’t be losing those games and get dominated like that. They executed on everything and we didn’t.”

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But Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid took a more positive approach after the game. It was a 2-0 game for the Rebels until late in the third, when they padded their stats.

“It was a good game with two good hockey teams,” said Habscheid. “The pace was real good and they’re a good club. We’ll live to fight another day.”

But Habscheid did talk about the fact that his best players didn’t play their finest game out there.

Not only was this the first time this season that the Raiders have been shutout, but the first time the Reid Gardiner, Austin Glover, Simon Stransky line was held without a point.

“Our key guys didn’t have their best game, and that’s okay,” said Habscheid. “Sometimes that happens. They’ve been good for us, but those things happen.”

The Rebels top defence pairing of Hadyn Fleury and Kayle Doetzel had a lot to do with at that. Rebels defencemen Hadyn Fleury and Kayle Doetzel were up to the task, as they were continually matched up with the Raiders top line despite having the last change as the away team.

“I think they got a lot of skill and a lot of speed. They like to push the pace and I think that plays into the style me and Doetzel like to play, I think,” said Fleury, who was the game’s second star with a goal and an assist. “We’re both really good skaters and we both can keep up with that. We’ve both proven that we can keep up with the league’s top lines and we’ve been successful at that.

“We just have our game plan going in and we executed that tonight.”

Grayson Pawlenchuk gave the Rebels a 1-0 lead in the first period on the power play. Rebels defenceman Haydn Fleury gave the Rebels a 2-0 lead in the second, on a slap shot in front of a completely screened Rylan Parenteau.

Fleury also assisted on Pawlenchuk’s goal. His two points in the game give him 13 on the season in 12 games. He was the seventh overall pick of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, selected by the Carolina Hurricanes.

Adam Musil also ended the game with a goal and an assist, scoring his marker late in the third. Evan Polei made it 4-0.

The Raiders are scoreless in their last 15 attempts on the power play, going 0-4 on Friday.

Rebel with a cause

Rebels Russian point machine Ivan Nikolishin has been a welcome addition to the Memorial Cup hosts this year. The Rebels acquired Nikolishin on draft day for a third round pick in 2015, and a conditional fourth round pick in 2017 from the Everett Silvertips. The deal looks like a steal so far, as he leads the Rebels with 11 goals and 27 points.

Nikolishin is one of five players from Friday’s game that will play in the CHL Canada Russia Series. Conner Bleackley and Hadyn Fleury will represent the Rebels on Team WHL and will be teammates with Raiders Brendan Guhle and Reid Gardiner.

Oh, there you are

After the Raiders averaged just 2,209 fans in their first nine home games, the fans finally decided to show up. Friday’s announced attendance was 2,651, a season high for the Raiders. That’s up from their home opener of 2,627 Sept. 26 against the Saskatoon Blades.

Two divisional rivals coming right up

The Raiders will be in Moose Jaw on Saturday for a road contest against the Warriors. They’ll return for Nov. 13 for a game against the Saskatoon Blades.

jdandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_dandrea