The Wichita Thunder and Rapid City Rush opened up their three-game series on Thursday night in Rapid City.
First Period
The Rush and Thunder had a bit of a slow first period. Both teams were getting chances, but neither team was able to het the puck past the goalie until late in the period.
18:37 into the first, Rush forward Ryan Wagner was sprung on a breakaway and was able to put the puck in the back of the net, giving the Rush a 1-0 lead. Wagner’s goal was assisted by Deni Goure and Brett Davis.
The Rush went into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead after outshooting Wichita 13-9.
Second Period
Similar to the first period, the second was fairly quiet. 9:33 into the second, Rush forward Simon Boyko was able to get the puck on net and squeak it past Wichita’s goaltender to give the Rush a 2-0 lead. Parker Bowman and Ryan Wagner assisted Boyko’s goal.
17:21 into the second, the Thunder got themselves within one with a goal from Nolan Kneen. Jake Wahlin and Ryan Finnegan assisted Kneen’s goal.
Rapid City was able to take a 2-1 lead into the second intermission after they were outshot 10-11 by Wichita in the second.
Third Period
The third period is where things took a turn for the worse for the Rush. With only 1:29 left in regulation, the Thunder were able to tie up the game at two with a goal from Joe Carroll, with the assists going to Nolan Burke and Nolan Kneen.
The third period ended tied at two after Wichita outshot Rapid City 7-6 in the third.
Overtime
After playing a full 60 minutes, the Rush and Wichita needed extra time to determine a winner. Starting overtime, the Rush were able to win the opening faceoff, but neither team was able to convert in the extra time, so the game ended up going to a shootout.
The Thunder outshot the Rush 2-1 in overtime.
Shootout
Wichita Thunder
- Joe Carroll – no goal
- Michal Stinil – goal
Rapid City Rush
- Deni Goure – no goal
- Brett Davis – no goal
- Simon Boyko – no goal
Final Stats
The Thunder won 3-2 after being outshot 29-30 by the Rush. Rapid City Rush goaltender Connor Murphy made 27 saves on 29 shots for a save percentage of .931 and stopped one of two shootout attempts against him. Thunder goaltender Gabriel Carriere made 28 saves on 30 shots for a save percentage of .933 and stopped all three shootout attempts against him. Rapid City went 0/2 on the powerplay, but they could go 3/3 on the penalty kill. Wichita went 0/3 on the powerplay and 2/2 on the penalty kill.
Three Stars
- Thunder forward Michal Stinil (Shootout winner, three shots, -2)
- Rush forward Ryan Wagner (one goal, one assist, three shots, +2)
- Rush forward Simon Boyko (one goal, four shots)
Rush Final Thoughts
The Rush played well and physical in the first 30-35 minutes of the game. But towards the end of the second and going into the third, they were not playing as well and could not recover from it. In order to get more wins this season, Rapid City will need to find a way to play a full 60+ minutes.
The Rush and Thunder are back in action on Friday, December 13th at 7:05 pm MT before wrapping up their series for Teddy Bear Toss on Saturday, December 14th at 4:05 pm MT.
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