RUSH VALIANT IN TIGHT BATTLE, FALL IN SHOOTOUT TO MALLARDS

SLAPSHOT POSTGAME COVERAGE PRESENTED BY ASSURANT SOLUTIONS

RUSH VALIANT IN TIGHT BATTLE, FALL IN SHOOTOUT TO MALLARDS

(RAPID CITY, SD) – Kale Kerbashian recorded his 20th goal of the season, and Danny Battochio made 26 saves, but the Rapid City Rush fell to the Quad City Mallards in a tight battle, losing 2-1 by virtue of a shootout.

Three meetings in a row, the Mallards opened the scoring entries. At 16:13 of the first period, the Mallards forced a turnover deep in the Rush zone behind the net, resulting in a Nick Grasso goal. Grasso’s sixth goal of the season gave the Mallards a 1-0 lead that they would carry into the second frame of action.

The Rush came back in the second period, and in a back-and-forth frame found a way to tie things up heading into the last 20 minutes. With 1:31 left in the second period, Kale Kerbashian took the puck around the net and rotated up to the high slot of the Mallards zone. With traffic in front of Mallards goaltender Evan Mosher, Kerbashian rifled a wrist shot under the bar to even the game at 1-1.

20 more minutes of regulation would not be enough to decide a victor, especially with the Mallards receiving a power play for the last minute of regulation. The Rush penalty kill stood tall, killing off the entirety of the power play into overtime, eventually forcing a shootout. The Rush had yet to defeat the Mallards this season in a shootout, and unfortunately for the home side, that statistic would be perpetuated. Despite Mathieu Brisebois scoring for the Rush in the third round to answer Mario Lamoureux’s opening round attempt, Kevin Baker and Nick Grasso would score in the fourth and fifth rounds to secure the second point in a 2-1 shootout win.

Danny Battochio falls in post-regulation play for just the third time this season, making 26 saves in the shootout loss (25-17-3). The Rush season-high winning streak of 8 games ended tonight, but now turns into a streak of 9 games in which the Rush have successfully recorded a point.

The Rush finish out their home schedule in a rematch with the Mallards tomorrow night, with Scott Wray’s Jersey Retirement Ceremony taking place prior to puck drop.

Other Rush News:

Join Rush Nation for only $10 per game! Call the Rush office at 716-7825 for details, and stay informed on all Rush happenings this summer through the official Rapid City Rush team website, www.RapidCityRush.com, and the Rapid City Rush mobile app, available on iTunes and Google Play.

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