RAPID CITY, S.D. – After the Rapid City Rush erased a 3-0 deficit, took a 5-3 lead, and were then forced into overtime, Gabe Chabot netted the game-winning goal and the Rush beat the Wichita Thunder in overtime, 6-5, Saturday night at The Monument Ice Arena. Chabot and Calder Brooks each had two goals to help power the Rush to the come-from-behind win.
With Rapid City trailing, 3-0, in the second period, Ryan Valentini skated the puck to the point and fired a wrist shot on net. Olivier Rodrigue stopped it but Jake Wahlin grabbed the rebound and backhanded it in to put the Rush on the board.
They struck again not quite two minutes into the third period after Valentini found himself alone with the puck at the left circle. He sniped a wrist shot under the crossbar on the short side past Rodrigue and the Rush cut the deficit to one.
Rapid City then tied the game while on a power play when Valentini found Chabot loose at the right circle. Chabot snapped a shot that beat Rodrigue high and the game was tied at three.
Just 35 seconds later, with the Rush on a penalty kill, Brooks poke checked the puck loose at the blue line and sprinted after it through the neutral zone. Brooks won the footrace to the puck, carried it in, deked from backhand to his forehand and slid it between the legs of Rodrigue, putting Rapid City on top, 4-3.
The Rush would add to that advantage shortly thereafter while on a two-man advantage. Alec Butcher hit Tristan Thompson who found Brooks on the back post for a tap-in that made it 5-3.
Wichita swung back at that point though and cashed in with a shorthanded goal from Cam Clarke. They then tied the game in the final minute of regulation. With a goaltender pulled and an extra attacker on, Jay Dickman snuck a shot through Dillon Kelley from a sharp angle to make it 5-5.
In overtime, just after a Wichita penalty expired, Thompson hit Chabot alone at the point. He stepped up and fired a wrist shot on net that sailed through traffic and went in on the top shelf for the game-winning goal.
Chabot and Brooks had two goals each, Valentini put up a goal and an assist, Thompson had three assists and three goals was the largest deficit the Rush have overcome in a game this season.
Rapid City improved to 23-19-4-2 in the win while Wichita moved to 19-21-7-0 with the overtime loss. The Rush will now head east for three games next week against the Norfolk Admirals. It begins on Wednesday night and puck drop at Norfolk Scope Arena is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST.
