The Rapid City Rush welcomed the Tahoe Knight Monsters to South Dakota for the first time on Friday night.
First Period
Having never played each other before, the Rush and Tahoe had a slow start to the game, with neither team getting many shots on net as they figured out each other’s playing style and weaknesses.
The Rush were the first to score when forward Brett Davis found himself on a partial breakaway and managed to sneak the puck past Tahoe’s goaltender, Jesper Vikman. Davis’ league-leading fourth shorthanded goal of the season came at 17:41 into the period and was assisted by Ryan Wagner.
The Rush took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission after being outshot 5-11 by Tahoe in the first period.
Second Period
Tahoe quickly found their game in the second period, tying things up at one. Just 1:24 into the period, Tahoe forward Isaac Johnson positioned himself right in front of the net and tapped the puck in. Johnson’s goal was assisted by Jakub Demek and Luke Adam.
The Knight Monsters then took the lead when Rush goaltender Matt Radomsky was partially screened by players. Forward Bear Hughes shot the puck and found the back of the net at 16:23 into the period, with assists from Simon Pinard.
The Knight Monsters carried a 2-1 lead into the second intermission after outshooting the Rush 9-8 in the second period.
Third Period
The third period was quieter, with neither team dominating or getting many shots on net. However, Tahoe managed to extend their lead when forward Jake McGrew skated into the zone and shot the puck top shelf on Matt Radomsky’s glove side. McGrew’s goal, assisted by Patrick Newell, came at 16:35 into the period.
The Knight Monsters were outshot 8-9 by the Rush in the third period.
Final Stats
The Knight Monsters ended up winning by a final score of 3-1 after outshooting the Rush 28-22. The Rush were 0/1 on the power play and 2/2 on the penalty kill, with a shorthanded goal as well. The Knight Monsters were 0/2 on the power play and 1/1 on the penalty kill. Rush goaltender Matt Radomsky had 25 saves on 28 shots for a save percentage of .893, and Knight Monsters goaltender Jesper Vikman had a save percentage of .955 after making 21 saves on 22 shots.
Three Stars of the Game
- Knight Monsters goaltender Jesper Vikman (21 saves on 22 shots)
- Knight Monsters forward Bear Hughes (one goal, two shots)
- Rush forward Brett Davis (one goal, three shots)
Final Thoughts
Overall, this game was not terrible for the Rush. They had a lot of speed and were able to hang with the Knight Monsters for most of the game. Rapid City’s issue was not a lack of fight in the players, but rather a lack of quality shots and being outperformed by Tahoe’s goaltender Jesper Vikman, who made some great saves. The Rush did allow Tahoe to have a little too much space at times, but the defense was able to get back, and Rush goaltender Matt Radomsky made some big saves to keep his team in the game.
The Rush and Knight Monsters will continue their series on Saturday, January 11th at 7:05 pm MT and will wrap up the series on Sunday, January 12th with puck drop at 4:05 pm MT.
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