(RAPID CITY, S.D.)—The Rapid City Rush rattled off five consecutive goals, including four in the third period, to come from behind and defeat the Tahoe Knight Monsters, 5-2, at The Monument Ice Arena on Saturday.
Tahoe, as they did in all three games of the series, scored twice in the first period. The Rush trailed 2-0 after 20 minutes, though Rapid City outshot the Knight Monsters, 12-11.
The Rush put together another dominant second period, outshooting Tahoe 14-7 and getting on the board. Rasmus Ekström capitalized on the power play four-and-a-half minutes into the second. Matt Hubbarde recorded his first Rush assist on the play.
Rapid City kept Tahoe at bay and stayed within striking distance for the first 40 minutes. The offense came alive in the third period. Carter Wilkie tied the game on a wrist shot from the right circle, then Ekström tallied his second of the night for the lead just 12 seconds later.
Ryan Wagner continued his goal-scoring streak, burying for the fourth consecutive game to give the Rush insurance with two minutes to play. Wilkie hit an empty net goal to ice it, becoming the second multi-goal scorer tonight.
The two rookies paced the Rush offense. Wilkie led all scorers with three points—two goals and an assist—while Ekström tallied the game-winning goal and his first multi-goal game as a pro. Rapid City’s top line of Wagner, Wilkie, and Blake Bennett each had at least five shots on net and combined for 17, along with a plus-7 rating.
This game followed the same script as last year’s Veterans Appreciation Night: a 2-0 deficit followed by five straight goals to win, 5-2.
Rapid City outshot Tahoe, 39-31. Connor Murphy earned his second win of the season with 29 saves. Zane McIntyre took the loss.
The Rush’s record improves to 4-5-1 with ten games complete. The team hits the road for a three-game out-of-division series in Fishers, Ind. against the Indy Fuel.
Next game: Wednesday, November 12 at Indy. 7:00 p.m. EST puck drop from Fishers Event Center.
The Rapid City Rush take on the Kansas City Mavericks on November 21st and 22nd! Saturday, November 22nd is Rapid City Peaches Night, presented by Veteran Roofing, and features specialty jerseys with a live auction postgame. Call the Rush office at 605-716-7825 or visit www.rapidcityrush.com to learn more and secure your seats today.
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