After taking Tuesday’s New Years Eve game by a score of 5-2 the Rapid City Rush were looking to take two more points from the Tulsa Oilers on Friday night.
First Period
After dominating in the first game, the Rush came out very flat-footed to start the game and couldn’t get anything going, allowing Tulsa to find their groove. Tulsa found the back of the net first after a turnover by the Rush on their offensive blue line, leading to a partial two-on-one chance for Tulsa. Kishaun Gervais scored on the breakaway to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead. Gervais’ goal came at 5:45 into the period and was assisted by Justin Michaelian.
The Oilers then extended their lead by getting a lot of bodies in front of the Rush net. Justin Michaelian picked up one of the rebounds and backhanded it past Rush goaltender Connor Murphy. Michaelian’s goal came at 11:03 into the first and was assisted by Gervais.
The Oilers took a 2-0 lead into the intermission after outshooting the Rush 17-6 in the first period.
Second Period
The second period was quieter, but the Oilers still had the upper hand on the Rush. The Oilers extended their lead again after a shot from Reid Petryk squeezed past Murphy’s glove side. Petryk’s goal came at 8:47 into the period and was assisted by Duggie Lagrone.
The Oilers had a 3-0 lead at the end of the second period after outshooting the Rush 14-11.
Third Period
The Oilers continued their dominant night over the Rush in the third period. At 5:22 into the period, Solag Bakich deflected a shot in front of Rush netminder Connor Murphy to extend the Oilers’ lead. Bakich’s power play goal was assisted by Tyler Poulsen and Anthony Costantini.
The Oilers then secured a five-goal lead with a wraparound goal from Olivier Dame-Malka at 8:19 into the third. Dame-Malka’s goal was assisted by Alec Butcher and Solag Bakich.
Both the Rush and Oilers had 11 shots on net in the third period.
Final Stats
The Tulsa Oilers won by a final score of 5-0 after outshooting the Rush 42-28. Rapid City went 0/3 on the power play and 3/4 on the penalty kill, while Tulsa went 1/4 on the power play and 3/3 on the penalty kill. Rapid City Rush goaltender Connor Murphy made 37 saves on 42 shots for a save percentage of .881. Tulsa Oilers goaltender Vyacheslav Buteyets had 28 saves on 28 shots for a save percentage of 1.00.
Three Stars
- Oilers goaltender Vyacheslav Buteyets (28 saves on 28 shots)
- Oilers forward Kishaun Gervais (one goal, one assist, four shots, +2)
- Oilers forward Justin Michaelian (one goal, one assist, two shots, +2)
Final Thoughts
This game was nowhere near Rapid City’s best. The Rush struggled to gain and keep possession of the puck, allowing Tulsa to control the game. The Rush frequently turned over the puck, giving Tulsa many breakaways and odd-man rushes. Tulsa played a better overall game, controlling the puck and making crisp passes without turning it over. For Rapid City to win the series on Saturday, they need to clean up their play and find a way to solve Tulsa’s goaltender.
The Rapid City Rush and Tulsa Oilers will wrap up their series and determine the winner on Saturday, January 4th, with puck drop at 7:05 pm MT.
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