The Rapid City Rush were looking to extend their win streak to 12 on Saturday against the Idaho Steelheads, but the Rush ultimately fell short of their goal.
First Period
The Steelheads were able to get on the board first after Jason Horvath gave a cross-ice pass to Brendan Hoffmann, who put it in the back of the net. Hoffman’s power play goal came 6:03 into the first period and was assisted by Horvath and Ty Pelton-Byce.
The Steelheads had a 1-0 lead at the end of the first period after outshooting the Rush 14-11.
Second Period
Rapid City then put up three goals in the second period, with David Gagnon scoring his first professional goal between two goals from Blake Bennett. Gagnon joined the Rush from Lindenwood University earlier in the week.
After a big second period, Rapid City led 3-1, with both teams having 13 shots in the period.
Third Period
After a rough second period, the Steelheads came out with a lot of fire. Idaho got an unassisted shorthanded goal from Nick Canade and then tied the game with a goal from Kaleb Pearson at 12:31 into the period.
The game was tied at three at the end of regulation after Idaho outshot Rapid City 11-9 in the third period.
Overtime
Rapid City was called for a tripping penalty towards the end of the third period, giving the Steelheads a powerplay going into overtime. With only one second left on the powerplay, Steelheads forward Hank Crone snuck one past Connor Murphy to give the Steelheads the win. Crone’s goal came 1:41 into overtime and was assisted by Matt Register and Brendan Hoffmann.
The Steelheads outshot Rapid City 2-0 in overtime.
Final Stats
The Steelheads won with a final score of 4-3, outshooting the Rush 40-33. Rapid City went 0/5 on the powerplay and 1/3 on the penalty kill, while Idaho was 2/3 on the powerplay and 5/5 on the penalty kill. Rush goaltender Connor Murphy made 36 saves on 40 shots, achieving a save percentage of .900. Steelheads goaltender Ben Kraws made 30 saves on 33 shots, with a save percentage of .909.
Three Stars of the Game
- Steelheads forward Hank Crone (overtime game winning goal, one assists, nine shots, +1)
- Rush forward Blake Bennett (two goals, four shots, +1)
- Rush forward David Gagnon (first professional goal, three shots, +1)
The Steelheads will be on the road again next week as they take on the Kansas City Mavericks. They will start their series on Wednesday, March 5th, continue on Friday, March 7th, and wrap it up on Saturday, March 8th. Puck drop will be at 6:05 pm MT on Wednesday and Friday, and 5:05 pm MT on Saturday.
The Rush hit the road next week, traveling to Tahoe for the first time to take on the Tahoe Knight Monsters in a three-game series. They will start their series on Thursday, March 6th, continue on Saturday, March 8th, and wrap it up on Sunday, March 9th. Puck drop will be at 8:00 pm MT on Thursday, 8:30 pm MT on Saturday, and 4:00 pm MT on Sunday.
Discover more from Inside The Rink
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
