Powered by four power play goals (4-6) and a perfect penalty kill (5-5), the Rampage played their most complete game of the season to blast the Heat 5-1. Colby Robak (1g-1a), Bobby Butler (1g-1a), Doug Janik (0g-2a) and Denny Urban (0g-2a) all registered multi-point games and Jacob Markstrom stopped 27 of 28 shots to pick up his 6th win of the season.
The Heat would strike early, just 1:35 into the game, as Mark Cundari fired a shot from the slot to beat Rampage goalie Jacob Markstrom and those in attendance began to worry that the game would go the same way so many of the games have gone in recent weeks.
Twelve minutes later, John MacFarland would get the Rampage on the board, scoring on the team's first power play opportunity. MacFarland gathered the rebound of a Jon Matsumoto shot and pounded it into the open net to tie the game at one.
Three minutes into the second period, the Rampage would get their second chance with the man advantage and would capitalize once again on a Joey Crabb deflection of a Denny Urban slapshot from the blue line. The goal was Crabb's 4th of the season and was assisted by Urban and Colby Robak.
After killing off three more penalties, the Rampage would strike again in the fourth minute of the 3rd period as Bobby Butler stole the puck from a Heat defenseman, turned, and blasted a wrister over the extended glove hand of Heat goalie Joni Ortio for the 3-1 lead.
The Rampage would add two more power play tallies, one each by Robak and Matt Gilroy, extending the lead to 5-1. Pushing the Heat to the sideboards on defense and clearing all shooting lanes for Jacob Markstrom, the Rampage shut down the Heat for the final 10 minutes, limiting any quality chances. All chances generated by the Heat were quickly squashed by Markstrom as he allowed very few rebounds and played a near perfect game.
The Rampage will now get a nice three day break before taking on these same Heat at the ATT Center on Saturday night. The Heat meanwhile, will travel to Texas Friday night to face the dangerous Stars before returning to San Antonio for Saturday's rematch.
News and Notes
- Vincent Trocheck is battling a wrist injury and it showed when he missed to quality scoring chances late in the second. After missing the net both times, he would head to the locker room early but return for the 3rd, eventually picking up an assist on the Gilroy goal.
- Jon Matsumoto sustained an undisclosed injury and missed most of the 3rd period.
- Despite being recalled on Monday, Jack Combs was a healthy scratch along with Ryan Whitney.
I will try to get post game audio loaded up tomorrow afternoon. Check here or on Twitter for comments from Head Coach Tom Rowe and Colby Robak.
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