(FORT WAYNE, IN) – Brett Perlini’s power play goal with 3:33 left in the game was the only tally between two former CHL rivals as the Fort Wayne Komets defeated the Rapid City Rush in their first meeting in four years by a 1-0 score on Saturday night.
“Superhero Night” at Allen County War Memorial Colliseum beheld many heroic performances, particularly in the defenses and goaltenders of both the Rush and the Komets, who each did not score a goal for 56:27 of play in regulation. Komets goaltender Pat Nagle staved off all 21 Rush shots he saw, and denied his opposition of any offense on the power play, holding the Rush to an 0/5 count. Danny Battochio, net-minder of the Rush, saw the same success until 3:33 remained in regulation. On the final Fort Wayne power play of the night, Brett Perlini found a loose rebound in front of Battochio’s crease on a Shawn Szydlowski shot and slammed home the rebound, giving the Komets the only goal of the game that they would need to win, 1-0 over the Rush (Szydlowski received the lone assist).
Battochio, who shut out the Indy Fuel a night ago to the tune of 26 saves, stopped 34 of 35 Komets shots, finishing a rally of 120:11 of scoreless hockey, and ultimately stopped more than 60 straight shots from the end of Wednesday night’s loss at Evansville to the only goal surrendered tonight. He drops to 12-9-2 in 23 games played this season.
The Rush conclude their four-game road trip in Indiana with a final matchup against Fort Wayne tomorrow at 3 p.m. MST.
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