Rage Double Up the Oilers

Published on February 27, 2009 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Rocky Mountain Rage News Release


Tulsa - In their first meeting of the year against the Tulsa Oilers, the Rocky Mountain Rage doubled up their hosts at the brand new BOK Center, 4-2. Coupled with a Rapid City Rush loss to the Wichita Thunder, the Rage's magic number to clinch their first ever President's Cup Playoff berth now stands at two points.

Colt King led the way with three points (1g-2a), while Daymen Rycroft added a goal and an assist, including the game-winner. Goaltender Marty Magers secured his 13th win of the year by making 29 saves.

Tulsa took the early lead exactly 11 minutes into the first when Lucas LaBelle scored an unassisted goal off a turnover he helped create with a big hit inside the Rage end. Rocky Mountain's Domenic Maiani answered at 18:25 when he potted his seventh of the year off a rebound, and the teams headed to the second tied at one.

The Rage scored on the first shift of the middle frame to take their first lead of the night. Rycroft and King combined on a two-on-one with the latter finishing with his team-leading 26th at :36.

The visitors held their slim 2-1 margin into the third, which they extended when Rycroft tallied the eventual game-winner at 3:06. Splitting a pair of d-men between the circles, the Rage captain jammed home his own rebound past the right pad of Davis Parley for his 25th of the season.

Tulsa's penalty killers gave their club a fighting chance down the stretch by thwarting two lengthy five-on-threes for Rocky Mountain. In between the two impressive kills, Sean Collins went top shelf past Magers at 9:48 to make it a one-goal game. Any thoughts of a comeback were snuffed out by Ryan McLeod, though, who was making his Rage debut after signing with the team earlier in the day. McLeod rifled in a feed from Nathan O'Nabigon to seal the game at 16:06.

Rocky Mountain has now won five of its last six road games to run its record to a season-high seven games above .500 at 29-22-4 with 62 points.

In addition to signing McLeod before the game, the Rage also placed Nick Harloff and Mike Bulawka on 14-day injured reserve. McLeod is a third-year pro who recently completed his season playing in Sweden's First Division with Olofstroms IK. He spent his rookie campaign in 2006-07 as a teammate of Rocky Mountain goaltender Scott Reid with the New Mexico Scorpions. McLeod led the CHL in rookie scoring that year, averaging exactly one point per game with 64 points and garnering a spot on the CHL All-Rookie Team. He left North America for Europe last season, where he skated for the Geleen Smoke Eaters in Holland.

Rocky Mountain finally concludes a stretch of 12 of 13 away from home tomorrow night in Oklahoma City against the Blazers. A Rage win or a Rapid City loss in regulation will deliver a playoff berth for Rocky Mountain. All the live play-by-play action from the Ford Center in Downtown Oklahoma City can be seen and heard on the CHL Network at www.rockymountainrage.com beginning at 6:05 p.m. MST.

The Rage's next home game at Broomfield Event Center is on Thursday, March 5, against the Colorado Eagles at 7:05 p.m. Individual tickets for all of Rocky Mountain's remaining games at the BEC during the month of March are available for as low as $5 for kids 12 and under (with the purchase of at least one adult ticket) and cost just $10 for students with a valid ID. Tickets may be purchased at the BEC Box Office, www.Ticketmaster.com, (303) 830-TIXS, and all Ticketmaster retail outlets.

For more ticket information, visit www.rockymountainrage.com, or contact the Rage Ticket Sales Staff at (303) 439-RAGE or tickets@broomfieldsports.com.

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Central Hockey League Stories from February 27, 2009


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