BOISE, ID — Rob Linsmayer and Jefferson Dahl both scored twice and Branden Komm helped fight off a late push, as the Idaho Steelheads (36-20-7) earned their 20th victory of the season at CenturyLink Arena in front of a sold-out crowd with a 5-3 win over the Rapid City Rush (23-32-8) on Saturday night.
Linsmayer netted both of his goals less than a minute apart in the second period and then set up Dahl’s tally for his third point of the night, as the Steelheads scored the first four goals of the game. Dahl would cap the scoring with an empty-net goal in the final minute. Dahl extended his points streak to seven games, while Linsmayer now has seven goals and 14 points in the past ten contests.
With the Steelheads already ahead 1-0, Rob Linsmayer forced a turnover high in the Idaho zone and raced down the right wing to fire a wrist shot over Austin Lotz’s glove for his 15th goal of the season at 6:19 of the second period. Just 35 seconds later, Linsmayer beat Lotz again when a left-wing shot by Corbin Baldwin was kicked right out to the slot for a Linsmayer finish and a 3-0 Idaho lead.
At 10:53, Linsmayer once again found a puck between the circles in the Rapid City zone, this time sliding a pass across for Dahl to bury a wrist shot from the left circle for his 18th goal of the season.
Andre Morrissette opened the scoring for Idaho just 1:12 into the first period, snapping a 17-game goal-scoring drought with his fourth goal of the season to give Idaho a 1-0 lead. Morrissette scored from the low slot after Joe Basaraba freed the puck behind the net with strong forecheck pressure, one of Basaraba’s two assists on the night.
The Steelheads launched 46 shots on Lotz, making his first start since February 15th, and the rookie goaltender made numerous stops to keep the Rush in the game and give them a chance to climb back in.
Christian Horn started the Rapid City comeback effort with his second goal of the season, sneaking from below the goal line to collect a blocked shot and fire it over Komm’s shoulder with 32 seconds left in the second period, making it 4-1.
Mark Cooper would snap a seven-game points drought 1:27 into the third period, finding a loose puck in a scrum above the Idaho crease and sliding it beneath Komm, who made 13 of his 28 saves in the third period. The Rush would get one more past Komm at 16:38 when a right-point shot from Michael Monfredo ticked off the shin guard of Triston Grant for Grant’s fifth of the season.
The Steelheads nearly had an insurance goal in the third period when Brian Nugent earned a penalty shot for the second consecutive game but was stopped by the pads of Lotz. Aaron Harstad came into the game with eight points in his previous nine games, but he showed a physical edge in Saturday’s second period when he dropped the gloves twice, once with Mark Cooper and once with Anthony Collins.
The Steelheads earned six of an available ten points during their five-game home-stand. Idaho’s win, coupled with a loss by the Missouri Mavericks in Quad City, reduced the Steelheads’ magic number to six points to clinch a playoff spot. Any combination of six points gained by Idaho or surrendered by the Mavericks will guarantee Idaho its 20th consecutive playoff berth.
The Steelheads head out on the road for their first ever visit to Wheeling, WV and a three-game set agains the Nailers. The Steelheads and Nailers face off on Wednesday night at 5:05 p.m. MT at WesBanco Arena.
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