RAPID CITY WINS THRILLER OVER NUMBER-ONE MAVERICKS

(INDEPENDENCE, Mo.) – The Rapid City Rush, proud affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, defeated the Kansas City Mavericks in a shootout on Saturday night at Cable Dahmer Arena, 5-4. 

The game did not start off well for Rapid City, as Patrick Curry scored just 3:53 into the game to give Kansas City a lead. Curry would go on to score again 15:24 into the first to extend the lead going into the first intermission. 

The Rush still started well, outshooting the Mavericks 14-10 in the opening period, but failing to beat Mavericks goaltender Jack LaFontaine who was 2-1 against the Rush entering the game. 

In a whirlwind second period, the Rush exploded for four unanswered goals to secure a lead. 

Riley Ginnell scored his third goal of the season just 2:38 into the second to start the Rush cavalcade of offense. Then, Alex Aleardi blasted a slapshot in from between the faceoffs circles for a powerplay goal to tie the game. 

After Aleardi deposited a feed from Billy Constantinou to take a 3-2 lead late in the frame, Keanu Yamamoto hit Parker Bowman in the middle of the ice for a breakaway goal. It’s Bowman’s first professional goal and served as a massive marker in the game. 

Kansas City would answer before the second-period buzzer with Cade Borchardt hammering home a rebound from Theo Calvas to make it 4-3. 

Borchardt took a boarding penalty with 13 minutes left in the third period, setting up the Rush on a five-minute powerplay, but Rapid City failed to score. It was then the Rush who had to kill off a penalty and did in the last half of the third. 

However, with 27 seconds left, Kansas City finally broke through, with Casey Carreau tying the game at the far side post on a rebound. 

Jake Jaremko took a Kansas City penalty in the last two minutes of overtime, but once again the Mavericks penalty kill held. 

Matt Radomsky went 5-for-6 in the shootout as Blake Bennett and Yamamoto delivered in the shootout to win.

The Rush are now 23-34-3-0 on the season and six points out of the playoffs after an Allen win over Kalamazoo. 

Rapid City returns home on Friday night against the Utah Grizzlies. Puck drop is slated for 7:05 p.m.