Duffy one timed the game winner from the left wing circle. The Mallards entered sudden death up two men after the Rush's Bob Preece and Kyle Stroh were called for back-to-back penalties in the final seconds of regulation.
The Mallards had battled from behind to tie game earlier in the third with a shorthanded goal from Gergo Nagy. Nagy finished off a two-on-one rush with Vladimir Nikiforov- who assisted on all three Mallard goals- to knot the score at two at the 1:13 mark.
The Mallards found themselves trailing at the start of the third after Scott Brannon's sharp angle backhander gave the Rush snapped a 1-1 deadlock at 2:41 of the second period.
It was the Mallards who had first moved in front while on the power play when Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel's drive from the right point opened the scoring at 14:32 of the first period. The Rush's Jesse Schultz charged down the slot to tie the score at one with just 58 seconds left in the first.
The Mallards return home for game three next Wednesday 7:05 p.m., game four next Friday at 7:05 p.m and game five next Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. Should a sixth game be required, the series will shift back to Rapid City on Tuesday, April 15. If the series goes to a seventh game, the Rush would host the deciding contest on Wednesday, April 16.
Tickets for Mallards home playoff games can be purchased in person at the iWireless Center box office, online at ticketmaster.com, at Ticketmaster outlets or through Ticketmaster charge-by-phone toll free at 1-800-745-3000. The ticket office is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on game days from 10:00 a.m. until the start of the second period.
About the Quad City Mallards
A proud affiliate of the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild and the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild, the Quad City Mallards are in the midst of their seventeenth season their fourth in the Central Hockey League. One of the winningest teams in all of minor league hockey, the Mallards competed in the United Hockey League from 1995 through 2007 and in the International Hockey League in 2009-10. The Mallards' proud history has seen them capture the UHL's Colonial Cup Championship three times (1997, 1998, 2001) and secure that league's Tarry Cup four times (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002) for the best overall regular season record. In 2001, the Mallards made professional hockey history, recording their sixth consecutive season with 50 or more wins, a feat that has yet to be matched. The iWireless Center provides a unique environment for hockey and features one-of-a-kind seating areas such as the Nest for groups and functions and the exclusive Drake Club. For more information on the Quad City Mallards or for Mallards tickets go to www.myqcmallards.net. Fans can also follow the Mallards via Twitter at twitter.com/myqcmallards
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