(RAPID CITY, S.D.)—The Rapid City Rush (17-20-3) put 34 shots on goal but were shut out by the Allen Americans (22-14-4), 3-0, at Credit Union of Texas Event Center on Saturday.
Jackson Parsons picked up his first ECHL shutout. The Rush outshot the Americans by a combined margin of 31-18 in the first and third periods, but the second period made the difference.
After a goalless opening 20 minutes, Allen played a suffocating second. The Americans outshot the Rush, 24-3, and picked up the first two goals of the game, including a shorthanded tally.
Allen widened their lead to 3-0 on a power play goal in the third period, and Parsons closed the door from there.
The Rush adopted a shot-heavy mentality out of the gates in both the first and third, which resulted in plenty of shots on the board. Briley Wood totaled seven shots on net, one shy of his career high. Blake Bennett and Rasmus Ekström each had five.
Garrett Klotz dropped the gloves for the second time this season, fighting rookie defenseman Braidan Simmons-Fischer in a second-period tilt that lasted one full minute. Neither man recorded a takedown. In total, each team was charged with seven penalties as the chippy play ramped up at the end of the night.
Allen outshot the Rush in total, 42-34. Connor Murphy stopped 39 in the loss. He continues to lead the ECHL with 740 saves in 21 appearances.
Rapid City has now been blanked twice by Allen and four times this season. The Rush face the Americans for the final time tomorrow afternoon.
Next game: Sunday, February 1 at Allen. 1:10 p.m. MST puck drop from Credit Union of Texas Event Center.
The Rapid City Rush are back home to battle the Tahoe Knight Monsters on Valentine’s Day Weekend! Join us on Friday, February 13th and Saturday 14th at 7:05 p.m. Call the Rush office at 605-716-7825 or visit www.rapidcityrush.com to learn more and secure your seats today.