Tag Archives: Memorial Cup

2016 Mastercard Memorial Cup, Edmonton Oilers, Zach Laing

Memorial Cup: Huskies eliminate Rebels, face Knights for championship

The Rebels knew that tonight’s Memorial Cup semi-final was going to be the biggest game of their season and many of their lives, but didn’t come out playing like it.

It took only 10 minutes for the Huskies to get on the board, when Timo Meier found Francis Perron on the power play and he wired one past Rebel G Rylan Toth.

One minute and seven seconds later, the Huskies got back on the board when Martin Dzierkals sent a soft backhander to the net which managed to squeak by the Rebel netminer. A third goal in the second period came to the Huskies in thanks to a power play tally by Nikolas Brouillard and the game was out of reach.

Rob Wallator/CHL Images

However, that wasn’t due to a phenomenal effort by the Red Deer Rebels. In a typical Alberta fashion, the Rebels did everything they could to fight through adversity and come back in the game.

Unfortunately for the Rebels, who outshot the Huskies 37-27 by the end of the game, they ran into a goaltender who wouldn’t take no for an answer. The Rebels managed to score in the third, when captain Luke Philp found the back of the net.

With their win tonight, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies advance to the finals against the London Knights Sunday afternoon at 2:30 PM MT.

“I don’t think any of you guys out there thought with us being hosts and being beat out in the semi-finals that we could play against these top teams,” said Rebels Head Coach Brent Sutter. “We deserved to be in this game tonight with our two and one record.

“We played with this team tonight too. We made a couple mistakes in the first period that put us behind – we didn’t quit – we kept battling and I thought their goaltender was the best player on the ice. That’s the way she goes”

Huskies goaltender Chase Marchand certainly was the best player on the ice tonight, as he turned aside 36 shots from the resilient Rebels.

“I thought we played a good game,” said marchand. “Our defence played great, they boxed out the guys and allowed me to see shots.

“We’re looking forward to the rematch [with the Knights].”

Like what happens to every Junior hockey player, there is always that one final game. Tonight, the Rebels Haydn Fleury was one of those guys as the 2014 seventh overall draft pick will vy for a spot on the Carolina Hurricanes next season.

“It’s certainly disappointing to be in this position

“We spotted them two quick, and we couldn’t really bounce back this time,” said Fleury. “We had the scoring chances and the shots on goal to do that, but the bounces just didn’t go our way.

“Coming here as a 15-year old was surreal, and the Sutter’s have been great to me. Next August I won’t be coming to Red Deer, I’ll be going down to Carolina – I’m going into Carolina next year to make their team.”

As we look toward the Memorial Cup Championship match Sunday afternoon, the CHL’s Top Ten ranked No. 1 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies face off again against the No. 3 London Knights. A matchup Huskies Head Coach Gilles Bouchard is looking forward too.

“We want to be better game after game,” said Bouchard. “We have a group of players who work very hard and compete very hard.

“If you want to win some day for sure we have to respect this. We have to compete and battle in every situation for 60 minute with consistency is what would be most important for Sunday.

Come Sunday, the Knights will have had a total of five days off since their last game and after taking a trip to Banff yesterday, they will be skating everyday up until the championship bought.

 

I am credentialed and covering the 2016 Memorial Cup in Red Deer. You can follow me on twitter here for live updates from all this year’s games.

My work at this year’s Memorial Cup:
Knights surge past the Rebels 6-2 in the tournament’s opening game – Beer League Heroes, May 21.
Conner Bleackley shines in first game in over two months – Copper and Blue, May 21.
Should the Oilers be looking at drafting Kale Clague? – Beer League Heroes, May 22.
Top lines from the Knights and Rebels dominate at the Memorial Cup – Copper and Blue, May 23.
Rebels top line of Helewka, Philp and DeBrusk lead the host squad to a 5-2 victory over the Huskies – Beer League Heroes, May 23.
Wheat Kings dethroned in “disappointing” loss to the Knights – Copper and Blue, May 24.
Tyler Parsons shines as Knights beat Huskies 5-2 to book berth into Memorial Cup final – Beer League Heroes, May 25.
Rebels eliminate the Wheat Kings and book a berth in the semi-finals – Copper and Blue, May 26 

2016 Mastercard Memorial Cup, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects, Zach Laing

Memorial Cup: Rebels top line of Helewka, Philp and DeBrusk lead the Host squad to a 5-2 victory over the Huskies

Jake DeBrusk celebrates with fans after a goal against the Huskies in the Memorial Cup’s third game. Rob Wallator/CHL Images

Unlike their game Friday night against the London Knights, the Red Deer Rebels started the Memorial Cup game against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies nervously.

It didn’t help early on when Rebel got called for a very weak cross-checking penalty. Timo Meier made them pay, scoring his 3rd goal in just two games.

Following the second goal, Rebels Head Coach Brent Sutter called a timeout.

“I told them that I loved them,” said Sutter. “And I told them that if they went out and won the game I’d love ’em even moreWe killed the penalty right after the timeout then shortly after we made it two – one.

“It was huge and it gave the boys some life and some momentum.”

The timeout and the subsequent successful penalty kill that the Rebels were tasked with seemed to give the squad some jump that lasted the rest of the game.

All it took was 40 seconds into the second period for the Rebels to score again, when Adam Helewka found the twine on a feed from Boston Bruins First rounder Jake DeBrusk.

“The two players I was playing with are both great players,” said Helewka in his post-game availability. “They both see the ice real well, they work hard and we just tried to get some chemistry going.

“They made it easy for me.”

Rebels Head Coach Brent Sutter chimed in on the Adam Helewka, Luke Philp and Jake DeBrusk line that combined for seven points tonight in his post-game press conference.

Sutter said that “they’re offensive type guys that need to have the puck on their stick to make plays” and that “they were really intelligent with the puck and their puck possession ratio was really good.”

The host team Red Deer Rebels fans played a huge part in tonight’s game making deafening noise all night. Rob Wallator/CHL Images

After scoring two unanswered goals to even up the game at 2-2, the fans in the Enmax Centrium got on the backs of their beloved Rebels. Three more unanswered goals later, and it was apparent that the Huskies couldn’t keep up with the host squad.

No matter what they did, the Huskies couldn’t seem to stay out of the penalty box and it cost them.

Huskies F AJ Greer found himself in hot water with the referees more than once tonight. After taking an embellishment call that he clearly didn’t agree with, Greer went to the penalty box and began to throw water bottles around.

“I overreacted, that was about it,” said Greer when asked about the call. “I saw it a different way than the refs did.

“I shouldn’t have acted that way and that’s all that happened – I will learn from my mistakes.”

Playing in their second game in two nights, the Huskies didn’t seem to be able to keep pace with the  Rebels once they scored their first goal. Huskies Head Coach Gilles Bouchard denied it having any effect on the team in his post-game press conference, which is what you would expect him to say.

What’s next for both teams?

Well both teams will have time to dwell on what happened tonight, as the London Knights and Brandon Wheat Kings square off Monday night at 6:00 PM MT.

The Rebels next game comes Wednesday when they take on the Brandon Wheat Kings.

The Huskies next game comes Tuesday against the London Knights.

I am credentialed and covering the 2016 Memorial Cup in Red Deer. You can follow me on twitter here for live updates from all this year’s games.


My work at this year’s Memorial Cup:
Knights surge past the Rebels 6-2 in the tournament’s opening game – Beer League Heroes, May 21.
Conner Bleackley shines in first game in over two months – Copper and Blue, May 21.
Should the Oilers be looking at drafting Kale Clague? – Beer League Heroes, May 22.

 

2016 Mastercard Memorial Cup, Beer League Hero, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects, Zach Laing

2016 Mastercard Memorial Cup: Knights surge past the Rebels 6-2 in the tournament’s opening game

Multi-point efforts from Mitch Marner and Christian Dvorak led the London Knights to a 6-2 win over the host Red Deer Rebels to open the 98th MasterCard Memorial Cup. Rob Wallator/CHL Images

The game started off strong for the Red Deer Rebels.

The first half of the first period was driven by the Rebels and they looked very much into the game. Banging, crashing and taking straight lines to the Knights, they certainly gave the London Knights a warm welcome to what playing WHL hockey is all about.

Both teams traded chances early in the game until Rebel Defender Hayden Fleury got into it after the whistle with Knights Winger Matthew Tkachuk. Despite the fact that the two had been pushing and shoving, the Knights got the last laugh as Fleury was penalized two minutes for roughing.

“We got a good start for the first ten minutes but penalties changed the momentum of our game,” said Rebels Head Coach during his post-game availability. “London was able to regroup and create some offense.”

It didn’t take long for the the Knights to capitalize, as on the powerplay drawn by Tkachuk, Mitch Marner and Tkachuk contributed assists on an Aaron Berisha goal.

From that point on, the Knights began to pour it on the Rebels. Christian Dvorak capitalized on two great set ups in front of the Rebels net in thanks to assists from Olli Juolevi and Mitch Marner on both goals.

Much like the second period, the first chunk of the second was quite even. However, Mitch Marner continued to shine and put the Knights up 4-0 seven minutes into the period.

Marner’s uses his speed and his ability to see the play before it happens gave him the chances to make the Rebels look silly. I always knew Marner was a player, but to have the chance to see him up close you begin to realize how special he is.

Hayden Fleury and Matthew Tkachuk exchange pleasantries during the first period. Fleury took a two minute roughing call on the play. Rob Wallator/CHL Images

“They’re talented and skilled,” said Suter when asked about the performance of the Tkachuk, Dvorak and Marner line.

“When you give them ice and allow them to do things and don’t play a hard game against them, they’re going to dominate you.”

Every time the trio were on the ice, the Knights spent almost all the time in the Rebel end. If teams can’t find a way to shut down this incredibly dominant line it is going to be very difficult to beat the Knights.

Tkachuk, who is the 2nd ranked North American skater by the NHL’s Central Scouting service, had a solid performance notching one assist alongside 10 shots on net and a +3 rating.

“To start off 1-0 is perfect,” said Tkachuk after the game.

“I hope the other team’s notice that we are here and we are here to win.”

Pair that alongside the stellar play of Knights G Tyler Parsons, and they could very well be the team to beat in this years Memorial Cup.

“Tyler Parsons made some amazing saves even when we had the lead, he kept us in the game,” said Knights head coach Dale Hunter.

“He gave us the momentum in the first ten minutes when Red Deer was putting a lot of pressure. It is a big win for our first game tonight.”

5’10, 174 lb 2016 Draft eligible Knights Defenceman Victor Mete scored a great goal in the second picking up a loose puck in the slot and firing it above Rebel G Rylan Toth.

His speed and offensive awareness could make him an interesting selection in this years draft. Mete led all OHL defencemen with a +53 +/- rating, and is currently rated .

The story behind the game wasn’t the fact that the Knights poured it on the Rebels, but simply the fact that Red Deer was unable to shut down the dynamic line of Matthew Tkachuk, Christian Dvorak and Mitchell Marner.

Every time the trio were on the ice, they spent almost all the time in the Rebel end. Simply put, if teams can’t find a way to shut down this line it is going to be very difficult to find a way to beat the Knights.

Pair that alongside the stellar play of Knights G Tyler Parsons, and they could very well be the team to beat in this years Memorial Cup.

“Tyler Parsons made some amazing saves even when we had the lead, he kept us in the game,” said Knights head coach Dale Hunter.

“He gave us the momentum in the first ten minutes when Red Deer was putting a lot of pressure. It is a big win for our first game tonight.”

I will be in Red Deer for the games over the next week covering the Memorial Cup live, so be sure to follow me on Twitter so you don’t miss a beat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8mIcgbSRHk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW6S216eoEE