In a game that featured a furious opening period and a dramatic overtime finish, the Rush outlasted the Red Dogs 3-2 at BHE1. From the opening faceoff, both teams came out flying, combining for 47 shots in the first period alone. The Red Dogs struck first at 11:00 of the first when Troy Smethurst (#33) found the back of the net, with assists from Nick Hall (#21) and Zach Emsley (#83). But the Rush answered quickly, as Hudson Blyth (#20) evened the score at 5:40 with help from Rylan Danis (#4). The period’s fireworks weren’t over, however, as Drew Mrzljak (#29) buried a goal at 1:55, assisted by Darcy Bruno (#87), to give the Rush a 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission. The period was not without its share of discipline issues, as Bruno was sent to the box for roughing at 9:43 and Mike Kratko (#47) followed shortly after with a high-sticking minor at 4:48.
The second period saw the pace slow slightly, but the Rush continued their momentum. Mrzljak struck again at 10:55, this time with assists from Kyle Kaps (#91) and Bruno, giving the Rush a commanding 3-1 lead. The Red Dogs, however, would not go quietly. They tightened up defensively and began to tilt the ice back in their favor, but the Rush’s defense held firm. A high-sticking penalty to Cyle Primeau (#94) at 2:49 gave the Red Dogs a power-play opportunity, but they were unable to capitalize. The third period saw the Red Dogs ramp up the pressure, and a second minor penalty to Primeau, this time for body contact at 11:39, put the Rush back on their heels. Despite the shorthanded situations, the Rush managed to kill off both penalties, but the Red Dogs finally broke through when Tanner Popowich (#44) scored at the 3:22 mark of overtime, assisted by Liam Hickey (#91), to force the game into sudden death.
With the game on the line in the extra frame, it was Darcy Bruno who became the hero, scoring the game-winner at 3:22 of the fourth period with an assist from Cyle Primeau. Greg Bursey (#31) earned the win in net, stopping all 22 shots he faced, while Byron Simpson (#31) took the loss despite a strong 25-save effort. The Rush’s ability to weather the storm late in regulation and find a way in overtime was the difference, as they improved to 1-0 with a hard-fought victory.