Resilient Rush Dominate Thunder, 4-1
WICHITA, KS – With three of their top scorers and their top netminder up in the AHL, the Rapid City Rush looked like sitting ducks for the Wichita Thunder on Thursday, but a gutsy, resilient performance led the way as Rapid City defeated Wichita, 4-1. Brett Gravelle scored two goals and Bailey Brkin was solid, stopping 28 shots. Michal Stinil scored the lone goal for the Thunder.
The Rush jumped out in front 2:57 into the contest on a beautiful setup by Calder Brooks. Brooks moved down along the boards, looking like he was going to go behind the Thunder net, but he found Gravelle out in front just before going behind the goal. Gravelle simply redirected the puck by Wichita goaltender Evan Buitenhuis for his 10th tally of the year.
The Thunder responded, scoring less than two minutes later to tie the score. Cam Clarke made a sensational outlet pass through the neutral zone right onto the stick of Stinil just before he crossed the Rush blueline. Stinil moved in on Brkin looking like he was going to go five-hole, then moved to the far post, tucking it past the Rapid City netminder for his fourth tally of the season.
The scored remained tied through the first intermission as the Thunder outshot the Rush 14-9. However, Rapid City was dominating play for much of the frame. With four defensemen out for Wichita, the Rush were able to maintain pressure in the Thunder end and control the neutral zone. That helped them to score three unanswered goals, with two coming in the second period.
The first came at 10:51. Brooks fired a shot that Buitenhuis saved, but the puck came right back to Brooks. Instead of putting the puck back on net, he found Gravelle near the far post, who redirected the puck by the Wichita netminder for his second goal of the game
Just over four minutes later the lead became two. Kenton Helgesen gained control of the puck along the boards, then passed it Gabriel Chabot, who buried the one-timer for his eighth goal of the year.
The lead became three 5:36 into the third. The Rush won the draw inside the Wichita end. Jake Wahlin came off the boards, moved across the slot, firing a wrist shot that beat Buitenhuis to the short side.
The Thunder had the opportunity to pull within two in the third when Garrett Schmitz caught a pass at the Rapid City blueline, heading in on a breakaway, but his shot rang off the post.
The loss was the seventh in a row at home for the Thunder. The team is now 12-17-4, battling to get out of last place. Rapid City moves to 15-14-5, third in the Mountain Division.
These teams will square off again on Friday evening. The puck drops at 7:05.
By Robert Pannier