The powder keg was set to explode.
But the Calgary Hitmen never got around to lighting the fuse.
A boisterous near-sellout crowd was eager to give the demolition crew a head start by blowing the roof off of the soon-to-be-levelled old rink.
The Red Deer Rebels had other ideas as Brent Sutter’s crew put together a playoff blueprint and followed it to a ’T’ in a convincing 2-0 win in Game 4 of the WHL’s Eastern Conference quarter-final.
Luke Philp and Jake DeBrusk provided the visitors with all the offence they would need while goaltender Trevor Martin kicked out all 30 shots he faced as the Rebels took a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven affair.