RAPID CITY, SD – Marc-Olivier Crevier-Morin scored the game-winner in the second period and Stuart Skinner stopped 33 shots to help Wichita preserve a 2-1 win on Saturday night against Rapid City at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.
With the victory, Wichita moved into a fifth-place tie with Tulsa and one point back of both Rapid City and Idaho for fourth in the Mountain Division.
Mark MacMillan got things started at 7:40 when he caught a pass through the slot, pulled Michael Bitzer out of his crease, went back behind the net and buried it from the other post.
Alec Baer tied the game at 14:44 of the second period. Brandon Fehd made a nice play entering the zone, got the puck to Chris Leibinger and he found Baer for his third of the year. The Thunder answered just over a minute later. Crevier-Morin fired a shot through a screen and beat Bitzer to make it 2-1.
Rapid City kept coming in the third, but Skinner was up to the task at every turn. The Rush pulled Bitzer with just under two minutes to go and had a few scoring chances. MacMillan was able to clear the puck with four seconds left and time ran out.
Crevier-Morin notched his first goal of the year. MacMillan has goals in three-straight games. Ralph Cuddemi added two helpers. Skinner earns his eighth win of the season.
The Thunder will conclude their three-game road swing on Thursday December 27th with a trip to Tulsa to take on the Oilers.
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