(RAPID CITY, S.D.) – Lukas Parik made 29 saves and the Rush fired a season-high 50 shots on net but ultimately fell in a shootout to the visiting Utah Grizzlies, 2-1, Friday night at The Monument Ice Arena.
Utah opened the scoring in the first period when Tyler Penner snapped a shot on net that Parik blocked. The rebound bounced to the back post though where Luka Burzan controlled it on the backhand and swept it into the net, making the score 1-0.
The Rush evened the score in the second period when Ryan Zuhlsdorf carried the puck toward the front of the net and left if for Brett Van Os in the slot. Van Os blistered a backhander on net that beat Peyton Jones on the glove side and the game was tied, 1-1.
From there, the goaltenders stole the show, as both Jones and Parik turned away everything they saw for the remainder of play. Rapid City fired a season-high 50 shots on goal, but Jones made 49 saves. On the other side of things, Parik stopped 29 of the 30 shots he faced. The score remained tied at one through the third period and overtime, eventually pushing the game to a shootout.
In the shootout, both goaltenders continued to dazzle, stopping everything they saw through the first six rounds. In the seventh, after the Rush failed to convert, Charle-Eduard D’Astous put a move on and beat Parik top shelf for the game-winning goal.
The Rush picked up a point and moved to 27-20-4-4 in the shootout loss while Utah improved to 32-19-2-1. Rapid City now has points in nine of its last 11 games. The Rush and Grizzlies will meet again on Saturday night. It’s Pirates and Princesses Night, presented by Courtyard by Marriott, and the first 750 fans 16 and under will receive a free youth jersey, courtesy of Coca-Cola Bottling Company High Country. Puck drop at The Monument Ice Arena is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
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