Sports stats



ECHL Idaho Steelheads

Steelheads Fall to Rush After Wild Third Period

December 29, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


Rapid City, SD- Ryan Walters scored twice as part of a six-goal third period outburst, as the Rapid City Rush (10-14-5) overcame a third period deficit to defeat the Steelheads (16-11-3), 7-4 on Wednesday night at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

The Steelheads and Rush were tied 4-4 with 7:11 left in regulation time, but a Josh MacDonald breakaway tally put the Rush in front for good with 4:42 to play. Jefferson Dahl was on the ground with the puck underneath him in front of his own bench. Dahl fought his way to his feet and tried to move the puck, but fanned on the pass. MacDonald swooped in to grab the puck and split the Idaho defense, racing in for a breakaway on Branden Komm and a 5-4 Rush lead.

MacDonald would race down the ice again 2:02 later after Idaho's Travis Walsh fell down at the offensive blue line. MacDonald and Walters broke in 2-on-1, with Walters finishing his second of the period and 12th of the year to make it 6-4. Ryan Misiak scored into an empty net in the final minute to cap the scoring.

After both teams were held scoreless for the first period and a half, Brett Perlini opened the scoring for the Rush when he got his own rebound of a left-wing shot and put it past Komm for his ninth of the year. Just 1:07 later, Idaho tied the game with Kellan Lain's sixth of the season, with a blocked point shot rolling to the front of the Rapid City net where Lain was camped in front of Rush goaltender Adam Morrison. Just 17 seconds after Lain's goal, Basaraba gave Idaho their first lead when he beat Morrison with a wrist shot from the left-wing boards, his sixth of the year and first goal in ten games. Idaho would carry that lead into the second intermission.

At 2:08 of the third period, Walters got his first of the night on a power play redirection of a Dysin Mayo point shot just three seconds into the man-advantage, tying the game 2-2.

At 10:08 of the third, Kyle Jean batted in the rebound of a Basaraba backhander to restore Idaho's lead at 3-2. It was Jean's first goal in his last 13 games, but his sixth point in six games.

It was 17 seconds after Jean's goal that Terrence Wallin tied the score again with a deflection of a Justin Hache point shot seven seconds into another power play. Michael Young would score 45 seconds after that, his left wing wrist shot bouncing off Komm's glove and in for his fifth goal of the year.

The Steelheads would tie the game once more 1:11 after Young's goal, Basaraba getting his second of the game and seventh of the season with a blast right off the face-off. Wednesday was Basaraba's first multi-goal game of the season.

At the end of the first period, the teams combined for 88 minutes in penalties in a line brawl that featured Anthony Luciani, Corbin Baldwin, and Rob Linsmayer for Idaho.

The six goals against in the third period were the most Idaho has surrendered in a period this season, as the Steelheads fell to 1-7-0 in Wednesday games this year.

The Steelheads and Rush are back in action on Friday night with a 7:05pm MT puck-drop at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. The game is available on 1350KTIK and on ECHLTV.

STEELHEADS STATS: Goals: Lain (6), Basaraba (6,7), Jean (5) Branden Komm: 24 saves on 30 shots Power Play: 0-for-2 Penalty Kill: 2-for-4

CENTURYLINK THREE STARS OF THE GAME

1. Ryan Walters RCR

2. Josh MacDonald RCR

3. Terrence Wallin RCR

COORS LIGHT OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME Joe Basaraba: 2 goals, 1 assist, plus-2, 4 shots

PLAY OF THE GAME: Wednesday night's game in Rapid City had a back-and-forth momentum from the midway point of the second period, and a Steelheads mistake cost them. Just 2:29 after battling to tie the game 4-4, Jefferson Dahl lost the puck in the neutral zone to the speedy Josh MacDonald. MacDonald picked it up and jetted between the Steelheads defensemen to break in alone on Komm for a 5-4 lead. It was a deflating goal for Idaho, and Walters' 2-on-1 goal 2:02 later sealed Idaho's fate.

Check out the Idaho Steelheads Statistics



ECHL Stories from December 29, 2016


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Idaho Steelheads Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central