King, Hodge have breakout game in Rapid City victory

by Jim Holland Rapid City Journal

Colt King and Brendon Hodge couldn’t have picked a better time to snap out of a scoring slump.

The veteran Rapid City Rush forwards had struggled offensively in the postseason, with just four assists between them, but decisive goals from each turned the tide in Rapid City’s 4-1 win over the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs in Game 5 of the Central Hockey League Northern Conference finals on Saturday night.   

Hodge’s slapshot from just outside the crease with 4:06 gone in the third period gave the Rapid City Rush a 2-1 lead. King’s insurance goal nine minutes later sent many in the CenturyTel Center crowd of 3,088 headed for the exits.

Brendan Cook and King set up Hodge’s game-winner.

“Cookie made the whole play. He poked it up to Kinger and he showed amazing patience, getting the puck to me in the slot,”

Hodge said. “It was just a bang-bang play and I heard it hit the back of the net. I haven’t heard that for a while. I had to do a double-take to make sure it went in.”

Hodge hopes this is a sign of good things to come.

“It’s been a little bit of a struggle lately. Maybe the hockey gods were on my side tonight. (Mudbugs defenseman David) Pszenyczny didn’t have a stick. It was a big goal for us. It got us some momentum and the lead,” Hodge said.

King said his goal, coming off a Riley Weselowski rebound, was a matter of right place, right time.

“Weselowski made a big jump, got past the defenseman and I just followed it up,” King said.“I got a big, juicy rebound out to me. I tried to put a good shot on net with lots on it and thankfully it went in.”

King said he is more concerned with wins than personal stats.

“I thought everybody  contributed tonight. It could have been anybody that scored the goal. It was timely, and I’ll take what ever I can get right now,” he said.