(TULSA, Okla.)—Ryan Wagner scored a game-winning third-period goal, Connor Murphy dazzled with 55 saves, and the Rapid City Rush grinded out a 3-2 victory over the Tulsa Oilers at the BOK Center on Thursday.
Murphy’s 55-save performance on 57 shots marks a career-high. He also set the new record for saves in a single game (55) and single period (28 in the second period) for any ECHL goaltender this season.
Despite the shot disparity of 57-31, the Rush never trailed. Parker Bowman scored late in the first period, Deni Goure scored late in the second, and Ryan Wagner struck early in the third. Goure’s goal came just 40 seconds after Tulsa tied the score at 1-1, and the Rush led from that point on.
Goure and Wagner finished with a goal and an assist each. Combined with Blake Bennett’s one assist, that line has put up 16 points over the last three games.
Murphy, who flew into Tulsa from Calgary on Wednesday night, improves to 12-7-4 with a .917 save percentage. He is 8-1-1 over his last ten starts for the Rush. He has made 95 saves in his last two games. Vyacheslav Buteyets took the loss for Tulsa.
In a statistical quirk, tonight was the Rush’s first win in the Central Time Zone. Rapid City had gone 0-8-2 in Central Time before this win.
The Rush have now won six of their last eight games. They trail the fourth-place Oilers by nine standings points with eight games remaining. The two teams have a rare Friday off-day before reconvening at the BOK Center on Saturday night.
Next game: Saturday, March 29 at Tulsa. 7:05 p.m. CDT puck drop from the BOK Center.
The Rapid City Rush take on the Utah Grizzlies in the final home series of the regular season on April 9th, 11th, and 12th at The Monument Ice Arena. Secure your seats today and be a part of the action. Check out the 2024-25 promotional schedule for a list of all themed nights. Call the Rush front office at 605-716-7825 or visit www.rapidcityrush.com for more information.
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