By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles on Twitter

Hurricanes crush the Rebels to take 2-0 series lead

Mar 24, 2018 | 10:07 PM

LETHBRIDGE – Maybe the Hurricanes really were just waiting for the games to matter.

After virtually guaranteeing themselves a WHL playoff spot with plenty of time to spare, the Hurricanes limped into the post-season with just two wins in the final 10 regular season games. Through their first two games of their best-of-seven with Red Deer however, they own a 2-0 series lead, and to this point, it hasn’t been even remotely close.

The Hurricanes bulldozed the Rebels 8-3 Saturday night, Mar. 24, after winning game-one on Friday by a decisive 6-0.

It was actually the Rebels who opened the scoring on Saturday, as Brandon Hagel converted on the power play to take a 1-0 lead just 59 seconds into the game. The tide began to turn for the ‘Canes midway through the first, as Dylan Cozens first notched a shorthanded goal to tie the score, before adding a power play goal of his own take a 2-1 lead. Zachary Cox and Brad Morrison pushed the Hurricanes further ahead, with former ‘Cane Josh Tarzwell getting one for the visitors to end the opening frame.

The second would see Cozens complete his hat trick while on the man-advantage, with Taylor Ross and Jordy Bellerive adding goals of their own to put the Hurricanes up 7-2 after 40 minutes of play. The two teams then traded goals in the third, as Morrison – who has an eye-popping eight points in two games – and Hagel each registered their second of the evening.

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Special teams were an important part of the night for Lethbridge, who scored three power play goals on five opportunities, and killed six of the eight penalties called against them.

The series now shifts to Red Deer for games three and four on Tuesday and Wednesday (Mar. 27 and 28). While the Hurricanes lost their last game there on Mar. 14, they actually managed to go 2-1 this season in the Rebels home arena.