(ALLEN, Texas) – The Rapid City Rush, proud affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, walloped the Allen Americans 10-5 on Wednesday evening at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center.
The Rush opened the scoring on Keanu Yamamoto’s shorthanded marker just 1:59 into the game. It’s the second shorthanded goal of the season for the Rush, and Rapid City would have the lead the rest of the way.
Blake Bennett followed Yamamoto’s goal, scoring on a feed from Alex Aleardi to make it 2-0. Yamamoto and Bennett finished the game with two goals each.
While Allen found a goal from Spencer Asuchak, the Rush blitzed Leevi Merilainen for four goals in the second period, and would scored one on Chase Perry when he was brought in to relieve Merilainen.
James Hardie scored the first and fifth goal of the period en route to a hat trick performance, the second-straight game a Rush forward has tallied a hat trick after Brett Gravelle scored three on Saturday in Idaho. Bennett, Yamamoto, and Tyson Helgesen finished the scoring in the second period to advance the Rush to a 7-2 lead at the end of the frame.
In the third period, Allen scored on back-to-back shots from Hank Crone and Easton Brodzinksi, but the Rush answered with three goals of their own in the third period. Hardie’s hat-trick goal, coupled with a slap-shot from Maurizio Colella and a breakaway powerplay goal for Brett Gravelle launched the Rush to a 10-goal showing.
The 10-spot ties this Rush team with the 2021-22 team for the most single-game goals in the Scott Burt-era.
At the end of the game, the former CHL rivals saw seven players total leave early after fighting majors with under 5 minutes left in the game. Jimmy Soper, Rhett Kingston, and even goaltender Matt Radomsky were all whistled for fighting majors with under five minutes to go while Jordan-Ty Fournier, Andrew Jarvis, and Colby McAuley were combatants for Allen.
The Rush defeated the Americans in six games in the 2010 Ray Miron President’s Cup Final (CHL), and the intense rivalry still brews strong today.
Now sitting at 11-12-2, the Rush have secured sole-possession of fourth place in the Mountain Division and are only five points behind Tulsa, who lost to Kansas City on Wednesday night.
Allen hosts Rapid City again on Friday night at 6:10 p.m. MT from the Credit Union of Texas Event Center.
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