The Utah Grizzlies and Rapid City Rush faced off in Rapid City’s season finale on Saturday, ending in heartbreak for the Rush.
First Period
Just like Friday night, the Grizzlies got on the board early in the first period. Forward Dylan Fitze skated through the Rush defense and backhanded the puck over goaltender Connor Murphy and into the net, giving the Grizzlies a 1-0 lead. Fitze’s goal came 2:46 into the period and was assisted by Luke LaMaster and Garrett Pyke.
At 3:50, Luke Manning broke free for a partial breakaway with a Rush defender on his heels. Manning pulled off a backhand shot and found the back of the net. His goal was unassisted.
Garrett Pyke then extended the Grizzlies’ lead to 3-0 with a shot from the bottom of the left faceoff circle that beat Murphy on the blocker side. Pyke’s goal came at 5:55 and was assisted by Dylan Fitze and Luke LaMaster.
Despite being outshot 16-8 by Rapid City, the Grizzlies held a 3-0 lead at the end of the period.
Second Period
After a rough first period, Rapid City came out strong in the second. Exactly seven minutes into the frame, Rush forward Ryan Wagner found the back of the net with an unassisted goal, cutting the deficit to two.
Later in the period, while on the power play, David Gagnon capitalized on a rebound in front of the net to bring Rapid City within one. Gagnon’s goal came at 16:40 and was assisted by Chaz Smedsrud and Blake Bennett.
Despite trailing 3-2 after forty minutes, Rapid City outshot the Grizzlies 15-13 in the second period.
Third Period
Rapid City carried their offensive momentum into the third period, as Dalton Skelly scored his first goal in a Rush uniform. Skelly received a cross-ice pass from Jack Jeffers and was left with a wide-open net, burying the puck to tie the game. His goal came at 2:09 and was assisted by Jeffers and Maurizio Colella.
Just as Rapid City seemed to have found their rhythm, the momentum shifted back to the Grizzlies.
Utah regained the lead with a shorthanded goal from Adam Berg at 11:18. The Grizzlies continued to build on their advantage with a goal from Derek Daschke, followed by a shorthanded empty-netter from Luke Manning at 17:47—his second goal of the night—making it 6-3 in favor of Utah.
Both teams registered just eight shots on goal in the third period.
Final Stats
Utah secured a 6-3 victory despite being outshot by Rapid City 39-29. The Rush went 1-for-5 on the power play and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill, while the Grizzlies went 0-for-1 on the power play and 4-for-5 on the penalty kill.
Rush goaltender Connor Murphy made 23 saves on 28 shots, finishing with a .821 save percentage. Grizzlies netminder Jake Barczewski turned aside 36 of 39 shots for a .923 save percentage.
Three Stars of the Game
- Grizzlies forward Adam Berg (game-winning goal, three shots, -1)
- Grizzlies goaltender Jake Barczewski (36 saves on 39 shots)
- Rush forward Ryan Wagner (one goal, eight shots, -2)
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