(RAPID CITY, S.D.)—In a back-and-forth game, the Utah Grizzlies used a late shorthanded goal to step by the Rapid City Rush, 6-3, in the season finale on Saturday at The Monument Ice Arena.
Rapid City fell into a deep hole early when Utah scored three goals in the opening six minutes of the game. From that point on, the Rush controlled the remainder of the first period and much of the second.
Ryan Wagner got the Rush on the board seven minutes into the second period with a historic goal. Wagner, who scored unassisted, picked up his 79th point of the season, tying him with Alex Aleardi for the ECHL-era single-season record.
David Gagnon capitalized on a gorgeous power play setup from Chaz Smedsrud and Blake Bennett late in the second to cut the lead to 3-2 at the intermission.
The Rush came out hot in the third and broke even. Dalton Skelly, again wonderfully set up by Jack Jeffers and Maurizio Colella in transition, scored his first goal with Rapid City to tie the game, 3-3.
That would be the final goal of the Rush season, though. Utah scored a shorthanded goal with nine minutes remaining to re-claim the lead. Then, an unfortunate sequence. Artyom Borshyov was called for a questionable embellishment penalty, denying the Rush another power play. Deni Goure hit the crossbar on the ensuing 4-on-4, then the Grizzlies went down and scored just seconds later.
Utah then hit an empty-netter to cap off a 6-3 final score.
Jake Barczewski earned the win for Utah, while Connor Murphy took the loss for Rapid City. The Rush outshot the Grizzlies, 39-29.
Year 17 of Rapid City Rush hockey ends with a 31-32-9 record and 18 home wins, plus multiple team records falling. The 71 points accrued is tied for the third-most in the organization’s ECHL history. The Rush will host their exit meetings and end-of-season party at the arena on Monday, marking the beginning of the offseason.
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