(TULSA, Okla.) – Seven different skaters scored and Adam Carlson made 36 saves as the Rapid City Rush hammered the Tulsa Oilers 7-3 on Friday night at the BOK Center.
The Rush struck early in the first period, just over a minute into the game, when Calder Brooks gained the zone with an odd-man break. Brooks loaded up a snap shot and beat Daniel Manella on the short side to make the score 1-0.
Rapid City added to that lead five minutes later after Alex Aleardi fired a shot short side that Manella stopped. He gathered the rebound though and slung it home to push the lead to 2-0.
Tulsa then got one back when a Karl Boudrias wrist shot deflected off a Rush skate and past Carlson. The Rush answered again late in the first as Max Coatta teed Logan Nelson up for a one-timer he cranked top shelf on Manella, making it 3-1.
In the second, the Oilers again brought themselves within one when Max Golod finished off a two-on-one rush. Rapid City responded with two goals in the final two minutes of the frame. First, Zach Court tried to stuff a shot through Manella that was blocked. He was then able to pop the second chance over the goaltender’s shoulder and in. Then, with just seconds remaining in the period, Nelson fed Coatta speeding into the attacking zone. Coatta fired a wrist shot top shelf past Manella with less than a second on the clock and the Rush led 5-2.
Tulsa got a power play goal in the third period on a one-timer from Tyler Poulsen but Rapid City again answered, this time with two goals in less than a minute. Jimmy Soper netted the first on a slap shot from the top of the left circle and Keanu Yamamoto poked home a rebound after Brett Gravelle rang a shot off the post, giving Rapid City a 7-3 advantage.
Brooks, Coatta, Nelson, Yamamoto and Aleardi each had a goal and an assist and the Rush snapped a three-game losing streak in the loss. Rapid City improved to 23-26-1-0 with its win and Tulsa fell to 17-23-7-1 in the loss.
The Rush and Oilers will meet again for the second of three games in three days on Saturday night. Puck drop at the BOK Center is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT.
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