RAPID CITY, SD – Zane Franklin netted a backdoor one-timer with 3:23 remaining in the game to push the Allen Americans ahead with a 3-2 win against the Rapid City Rush on Friday night. The loss eliminated the Rush from the 2021 Kelly Cup Playoffs with four games remaining in the season.
The Americans and Rush traded blows in the first period, leaving deadlocked after 20. Collin Shirley gave the Americans a 1-0 lead when he buried a Dyson Stevenson cross ice pass behind Rush netminder Dave Tendeck with 2:52 left in the opening frame with Stevenson and Sam Ruopp assisting. Just over 90 seconds later, Tyler Coulter roofed a rebound on a John Albert chance in close range of the net over Allen goalie Jake Paterson, squaring the game at 1-1 with 75 seconds remaining in the frame. Albert and Mikael Tam were credited with assists on the goal.
Stevenson and Shirley connected again in the second to give Allen a lead heading into the last period of play. With 9:40 gone by, Stevenson broke to the slot on Shirley pass and finished with a slick maneuver, ended with a backhand tuck to push Allen ahead at 2-1. Terrance Amorosa had the secondary assist on the play.
Carrying power play time into the third period, the Rush deadlocked the game again within the first minute of the final period. With just 24 seconds gone by, Cedric Montminy unleashed a snipe from the right wing side over the glove of Paterson to square the game at 2-2. Avery Peterson and Peter Quenneville assisted on the score. Allen got the last word in the “call and response” affair when Franklin buried a backdoor pass from Scott Conway right after a Rush penalty-kill expired, vaulting the Americans to a 3-2 lead. Conway and Dominic Cormier drew the helpers. Despite earning a power play late, and pulling Tendeck for the extra-attacker, the Rush couldn’t muster a tying goal, and fell in the season opener by a 3-2 final.
Tendeck, starting for a fifth time in the last six games suffered the loss, stopping 19 of 22 shots on net (11-13-0-0).
The Rush and Americans rematch Saturday in game two of their “three-in-three” series. Puck drop is slated for 7:05 p.m. MDT at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Ice Arena, while Sunday’s matinee finale is slated for 4:05 p.m. MDT.
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