Chaz Smedsrud scored the game-winner against Maine to give Rapid City its fourth straight win Thursday.
It took until the 16:41 mark of the third period for the Rapid City Rush to claim the lead over the Maine Mariners Thursday. When they did, it was at the most important part of the game: near the end.
The Rush trailed until Chaz Smedsrud scored the game-winning goal on a power-play to complete a 5-4 comeback home victory over the Mariners at The Monument Ice Arena.
Rapid City erased a two-goal deficit in the second period but did not lead until Smedsrud’s goal, capping off a three-point evening for the Luverne, Minn. native.
Brooklyn Kalmikov, the Mariners’ leading scorer, got his club on the board first at 7:47 of the opening period, firing a deflected pass behind Rush goaltender Connor Murphy for a 1-0 Maine lead.
With under two minutes remaining in the first, Zach Massicotte sent a one-timer past Murphy in the slot for a shorthanded goal and a 2-0 score. It was Massicotte’s first goal of the season and Maine’s first shorthanded tally.
Blake Bennett got the Rush back in the game with two goals, each coming on the team’s first shot of the second and third period. Just 30 seconds into the middle frame, Bennett squeezed a shot through the arm of Maine netminder Ryan Bischel to cut the deficit to 2-1.
The Mariners got their two-goal lead back after a match penalty for slew footing on the Rush’s Connor Mylymok. Xander Lamppa deflected in a power-play goal at 3:25.
Back came Rapid City with a shorthanded goal of their own at 7:14 of the period. Ryan Wagner, who came into the game fourth in the ECHL with 156 shots on goal, skated in on a breakaway and slipped the puck between Bischel’s pads.
Just over a minute later, Deni Goure tied the score 3-3, crashing to the back door and finishing a feed from Maurizio Colella.
Christian Sarlo grabbed the momentum back for Maine one more time near the end of the period, tallying a shorthanded goal at 15:01 and making the score 4-3 as the teams headed to the second intermission.
Bennett struck again 1:04 into the third, going high glove on Bischel to finish a pass from Smedsrud.
Later in the frame, the Mariners were called for a faceoff violation, putting Rapid City on the power play.
It would prove costly for Maine, as Smedsrud backhanded in a rebound in the low slot with 3:19 remaining for the game-winner and the 5-4 final.
The victory was Rapid City’s fourth straight, its longest winning streak of the season. The club moves its record to 16-22-8, and reached .500 on home ice at 9-9-4. . The Mariners fall to 17-25-3.
Murphy made 27 saves for the Rush and picked up his first win since Jan. 3. Bischel took the loss for Maine.
The two teams will face off again at The Monument Ice Arena on Friday night. It will be the second game of a long, 10-game road trip for Maine, who won’t return home until March 7 when they host the Reading Royals.
Puck drop for Friday is set for 7:05 Pm MT.