Big games for Rush in Texas

by Jim Holland (courtesy of the Rapid City Journal)

After a weekend split between the Rapid City Rush and Allen Americans, the Central Hockey League’s Ray Miron President’s Cup Finals are now a best-of-five sprint to the finish.

The Rush rebounded from a 4-1 setback to the Americans in Friday’s Game 1 to post a 5-4 overtime triumph Saturday at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

Now the series shifts to the Allen Event Center in Allen, Texas, for Game 3 tonight, with Games 4 and 5 on Friday and Saturday.

The Rush hoped to pack some of the momentum from Saturday’s thriller for Tuesday’s team flight to Texas.

“We’ve just got to keep pushing. It’s that Game 7 mentality,” said Rush defenseman Dave Grimson, who scored three goals in the home pair against Allen, including two third-period tallies to force overtime Saturday. “Right now we’re pulling all the stops and going for it.”

The Rush must contend with an Allen team that pounces on turnovers and scores.

Bruce Graham and Nino Musitelli quickly turned Rush miscues into a pair of third-period goals to rally the Americans from a 2-1 deficit.

So far in the series, the Amerks’ leading line of Musitelli, Graham, and Justin Bowers have produced four of Allen’s eight goals, with Musitelli, a 5-foot-8, 180-pound marksman, accounting for three netters.

The first two games made it apparent that Rapid City will have to throw every puck it can get a stick on at Allen rookie goaltender Chris Whitley, who faced 106 shots through the first two games of the series.

“For us to score goals against this kid we’ve got to have a lot of traffic in front of the net,” Rush head coach Joe Ferras said.

Whitley and Rush netminder Danny Battochio were the CHL’s leading rookies between the pipes this year.

“He’s a big kid. If he sees the puck he can stop it. The size that he is, he can see over our guys coming to the net. We know it’s not going to be a 15-to-20 shot outing with him and get three or four goals,” Ferras said.

Special teams play has been a wash thus far in the series. Both teams are 1-of-9 in power-play chances through the first two games.

Grimson’s three goals lead the Rush through the first two games of the finals.

Brendon Hodge, playing with a cage-style mask after suffering a facial injury in conference finals, has led the way in scoring with four assists.

Les Reaney has three helpers and Brendan Cook two assists for Rapid City.

The Rush hope their strength on the road, with four wins in five games, will serve them well against Allen, winners of 5-of-7 on home ice during the playoffs.

Bouncing back for the overtime win Saturday night was a key, Ferras said.

“We know it’s four wins for a championship, but we sure didn’t want to go into Allen down 0-2. It doesn’t matter if your playing in Rapid City, Allen, or Tahiti. You can’t change your game,” Ferras said.

Allen coach Dwight Mullins expects the tightly contested series to continue.

“We’ll go back home and get ready for Game 3,” he said after Saturday night’s loss to the Rush.

“It’s going to be a good, entertaining hockey series between two good teams trying to win.”