Bains and King dominant once again in win over Blades

Rebels 5 Blades 2

It was the Ben King and Arshdeep Bains Show through two periods at the Peavey Mart Centrium Tuesday night.

Or was it the Arshdeep Bains and Ben King Show? Either way, what else is new?

The Red Deer Rebels dynamic duo teamed up for the club’s first three goals in a 5-2 win over the Saskatoon Blades, and King added a fourth point when he assisted on Kalan Lind’s empty-net clincher.

Bains kept possession of the WHL scoring lead, upping his total to 91 points, including a league best 58 assists, while King is right on his heels with 90, including a league high 46 goals.

So, do they have a side bet on which of the two will hoist the Bob Clarke Trophy at the end of the regular season?

“No, I mean we’re both just kind of playing our game, looking for each other like we’ve been playing the last two and a half years,” King smiled. 

“It might come down to one or the other. If he gets it I’ll be happy for him as I’m sure he’ll be happy for me. We’re just good teammates and good, best friends.”

Bains scored late in the opening period on a quick release of a King pass from the corner, and King made it 2-0 just 35 seconds into the second frame when he skated just past the net and banked the puck off netminder Nolan Maier and in, stick side. Of course, Bains drew an assist.

Just under three minutes later the pair connected on a nifty give-and-go. Bains moved over the blueline and dropped the puck to King, who then returned it to his linemate who promptly found the top of the net.

“I thought the first period we kind of came out good and started to get momentum from there,” said King. “In the second period we were finding each other and making plays, and just carried on from there.

“Tonight we were pedal to the metal pretty much for 60. There were a few plays we could have tightened up on but for the most part we did a good job.”

Rebels head coach Steve Konowalchuk has seen this act on a nearly nightly basis this season and never gets tired of the show.

“For the fans, it’s fun to watch. They can make some plays with their skill level and they do have chemistry,” he said. 

“They’re inseparable on the ice and off the ice they’re good buddies and I think that shows. Another good game from those guys for sure.”

Down 3-0, the visitors notched a late second-period goal when Brandon Lisowsky set up Egor Sidorov for a one-timer.

The Blades then drew within one on a power-play marker from Jayden Wiens early in the third period. Wiens, from the top of the crease, drew the puck around netminder Chase Coward and banked it in off the post.

“They score that second goal and it’s a one-goal game and they’re going to get some life off it,” said Konowalchuk. “But I thought we came back with a couple good cycle shifts.

“Our guys got mentally focused and didn’t get rattled or lose their composure and we found a way to get it done in the end.”

Rookie Talon Brigley buried a rebound of a point shot by Hunter Mayo midway through the period and Lind sealed the deal with the empty-net goal, his 17th tally of the season.

Konowalchuk gave credit to the line of centre Jayden Grubbe, Jace Isley and Dallon Melin for helping the Rebels regain the momentum with their strong cycle game following the Blades’ second goal.

“The Grubbe line, they go against a good hockey line over there and grind it out against them,” said the Red Deer bench boss. “It’s not always on the boxscore, but a really good game by them. They spend an awful lot of time behind the other team’s goal line. We needed that from them and they went out and did it.

“That’s a good hockey team over there and I thought our guys played a good, smart game. I’m happy with the effort and happy with the game.”

The Rebels, winners of 10 of 11 outings over the last month, are in Lethbridge Friday for the first half of a home-and-home with the Hurricanes. The clubs meet the next night at the Centrium.

Notable: Coward made 21 saves while posting his 17th win of the season. Maier turned aside 19 shots for the Blades . . . The attendance was 2,685 . . . Saskatoon was one-for-three on the power play. The Rebels didn’t draw a single penalty . . . Grubbe scored a clear decision over Vaughn Watterodt in a second period scrap . . . The three stars: (1) King, (2) Bains and (3) Lind, who had an assist to go with his goal while skating alongside the aforementioned pair with Jhett Larson on the injury list. Larson is expected back for Friday’s game.