After the Rapid City Rush took the first game of the series and the Tulsa Oilers took the second game, the two teams faced off to determine the series winner on Saturday night.
First Period
Starting the game, neither team could find their groove right away or get many chances as neither team had more than ten shots in the first period. But after a rough game Friday night, the Rush were able to get on the board first. Rush defenseman Brady Pouteau took a shot from below the left faceoff circle and was able to sneak the puck past Tulsa’s goaltender Vyacheslav Buteyets. Pouteau’s goal came 12:23 into the period and was assisted by Maurizio Colella and Connor Mylymok.
The Rush took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission after being outshot 6-7 by Tulsa in the first period.
Second Period
After a pretty slow first period, both goaltenders saw almost double the shots in the second period. But the lone goal of the second period belonged to the Oilers. Oilers forward Alec Butcher took a shot from the left faceoff circle and got the puck past Rush goaltender Matt Radomsky. Butcher’s powerplay goal came 7:42 into the period and was assisted by Jeremie Biakabutuka.
The two teams were tied at one at the end of the second after the Rush outshot the Oilers 15-10.
Third Period
The Rush came out and dominated in the third period, having more than twice the shots Tulsa did, but it was not until late that the Rush broke the tie. After the Oilers turned over the puck in their defensive zone, Rush forward Maurizio Colella could crash the net and put it five-hole on Tulsa’s goaltender, giving the Rush back the lead. Colella’s goal came 17:38 into the period and was assisted by Tyler Burnie.
Down by only one goal, the Oilers decided to pull their goaltender for an extra skater, but it ended up working in Rapid City’s favor instead. After Rush forward Brett Davis was able to pick the puck off a Tulsa player’s stick in the neutral zone, he could shoot it down into the empty net, giving the Rush a 3-1 lead late in the third. Davis’ goal came 19:24 into the period and was unassisted.
Rapid City outshot Tulsa 14-6 in the third period.
Final Stats
The Rush won by a final score of 3-1 after outshooting Tulsa 35-23. Rapid City was 0/6 on the powerplay and 2/3 on the penalty kill, while Tulsa was 1/3 on the powerplay and 6/6 on the penalty kill. Rush goaltender Matt Radomsky made 22 saves on 23 shots for a save percentage of .957, and the Oilers goaltender Vyacheslav Buteyets had 32 saves on 34 shots for a save percentage of .941.
Three Stars
- Rush forward Maurizio Colella (one goal, one assist, three shots, +3)
- Rush goaltender Matt Radomsky (22 saves on 23 shots)
- Rush defenseman Brady Pouteau (one goal, three shots, +2)
Final Thoughts
While this game was not as good for Rapid City as their Tuesday game, it was still a really good game for the Rush. The players had a lot of visible chemistry on the ice and were getting more quality shots than on Friday. The Rush could finish more of their check and get the Oilers to turn over the puck a lot more.
The Tulsa Oilers will be back at home against the Fort Wayne Komets. They will start their series on Friday, January 10th, before continuing it on Saturday, January 11th, and then wrap up their series on Sunday, January 12th. Puck drop will be at 7:05 pm CT on Friday and Saturday and at 3:05 pm CT on Sunday.
The Rush are back in action on Friday, January 10th, where they will welcome the Tahoe Knight Monsters to South Dakota for the first time. The Rush will continue their series on Saturday, January 11th, before wrapping it up on Sunday, January 12th. Puck drop will be at 7:05 pm MT on Friday and Saturday and 4:05 pm MT on Sunday.
ITR 39: Conference Finals – Inside The Rink
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