Red Deer runs over Hitmen 8-3 at Scotiabank
Saddledome
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| Arshdeep Bains leads the WHL in scoring. |
On Wednesday, the Red Deer Rebels overage left-winger collected two goals and two assists to power his squad to an 8-3 WHL regular season victory over the host Calgary Hitmen before 4,323 onlookers at the Scotiabank Saddledome. With that effort, Bains now seemingly has an insurmountable lead when it comes to being awarded the Bob Clarke Trophy as the WHL’s regular season scoring champion.
Appearing in all the Rebels 67 games to date, Bains has 110 points coming off 42 goals and a league high 68 assists. He leads linemate in 19-year-old centre Ben King by seven points for top spot in the scoring race.
King, who sits second in the WHL scoring race, has also appeared in all of the Rebels 67 games to date piling up 103 points coming off a league high 52 goals and 51 assists. He scored twice in Red Deer’s win over Calgary on Wednesday.
Kamloops Blazers third-year centre Logan Stankoven sits third in the WHL scoring race posting 102 points coming off 44 goals and 58 assists appearing in 57 games.
The last member of the Rebels to win the WHL scoring title was centre Justin Mapletoft back in the 2000-01 campaign, when Red Deer won the WHL title and the Memorial Cup as CHL champions. That season, Mapletoft piled up 120 points coming off 43 goals and 77 assists appearing in 70 regular season games for the Rebels.
The Rebels have one game remaining on their regular season schedule, while the Blazers have two games remaining on their regular season slate.
Against the Hitmen on Wednesday, the Rebels led 2-0 after the first period, held a 4-2 advantage after the second frame and pulled away to post the 8-3 final in the third.
Dallon Melin scored twice for the Rebels, while Jace Weir and Kai Uchacz netted singles.
Zac Funk scored twice for the Hitmen, who received a single from Blake Stevenson.
Chase Coward stopped 27 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Rebels. Brayden Peters started and took the setback in goal for the Hitmen turning away 28-of-34 shots sent his way before being pulled at the 7:30 mark of the third period.
Ethan Buenaventura played the rest of the way in relief stopping one-of-three shots sent his way.
The Rebels improved to 45-18-2-2 with the win and are locked into finishing third in the WHL’s Eastern Conference. Red Deer closes its regular season schedule on Saturday hosting the Edmonton Oil Kings (7 p.m. local time, Peavey Mart Centrium).
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| Arshdeep Bains has 42 goals and 68 assists this season. |
The Hitmen close their regular season schedule on Sunday when they host the Lethbridge Hurricanes (2 p.m. local time, Scotiabank Saddledome). When Calgary hits the ice for that contest, they could potentially already be eliminated from playoff contention.
The Broncos close their regular season schedule on Friday when they host the 26-35-4-1 Prince Albert Raiders (7 p.m., Innovation Credit Union i-Plex). If the Broncos win that contest, they will eliminate both the Hitmen and Raiders from playoff contention.
The Raiders, who are 11th overall in the Eastern Conference two standings points back of the Broncos, have two games remaining on their regular season schedule. After playing the Broncos in Swift Current on Friday, the Raiders return home to close their regular season schedule against the Brandon Wheat Kings (7 p.m., Art Hauser Centre).
If the Raiders win both their remaining regular season games, they will eliminate the Hitmen and Broncos from playoff contention.
The 26-34-3-2 Regina Pats sit 10th overall in the Eastern Conference two points back of the Broncos. Regina closes its regular season schedule playing three games in three days.
The Pats take on the Winnipeg Ice, who have locked up first overall in the WHL with a 51-10-3-2 record, on both Friday and Saturday night at 7 p.m. at the Brandt Centre in Regina. Those two contests were originally scheduled for Thursday and Friday night in Winnipeg, but they were rescheduled and shifted to Regina due to severe bad weather in southern Manitoba.
The Ice close their regular season schedule with those two contests and will be treated as the home team in those games including having the last line change.
After the two head-to-head contests with Winnipeg, the Pats close their regular season schedule on Sunday hosting their archrivals the Moose Jaw Warriors (4 p.m., Brandt Centre). The Warriors sit fourth overall in the Eastern Conference with a 37-23-3-3 record after downing the Wheat Kings in Brandon 5-2 on Tuesday.
The Saskatoon Blades, who sit fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 37-26-3-1 record, could potentially pass the Warriors for fourth in the conference and have home ice advantage for a best-of-seven first round WHL playoff series.
The Blades close their regular season schedule on Friday hosting the 35-26-3-2 Wheat Kings (7 p.m., SaskTel Centre). If the Blades win that contest and the Warriors lose their final two regular season games in regulation, Saskatoon would take fourth place in the conference.
The Warriors travel to Lethbridge on Friday to face the Hurricanes (7 p.m. local time, Enmax Centre). Moose closes its regular season against the Pats on Sunday.
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| Ben Kings has 52 goals and 51 assists this season. |
The Wheat Kings would leap from sixth to fifth overall in the Eastern Conference if they win their final two regular season games.
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