MOLINE, Ill. (October 19, 2013) - Ryan Palmer broke a 4-4 tie with just over four minutes left in the third period and the Rapid City Rush, who got a 40-save effort from Tim Boron and a goal and two assists from Tristin Llewellyn, went on to defeat the host Quad City Mallards 6-4 Saturday evening and in the process spoil the Mallards' season opener.
Palmer's shot from the point put the Rush up 5-4 and set the stage for Scott Brannon's game-clinching empty net goal in the final minute. Brannon's was the fourth Rapid City goal of the third period. The Rush overturned a 3-2 deficit earlier in the third with consecutive goals from Konrad Reeder- a tip-in at 4:36- and Jared Brown- a long-range blast at 8:28. The 4-3 lead given to the Rush by Brown lasted only 17 seconds before the Mallards' Mike Stinziani pounced on a rebound to equalize.
It was the Mallards who twice grabbed the lead in the first 40 minutes. The Mallards responded after letting a 2-0 advantage slip away in the second period when Jim McKenzie stuffed in his second goal of the night to break a 2-2 tie at 15:54 of the middle frame. The Rush had briefly tied the game thanks to back-to-back goals from Eric Giosa and Llewellyn. Giosa got Rapid City on the scoreboard for the first time by burying a rebound at 9:58; Llewllyn's breakaway goal knotted the score at 13:42.
The Mallards had jumped in front early when McKenzie's drive from the right wing circle gave Quad City a 1-0 lead at 5:14 of the first period. Gabriel Levesque doubled the advantage with a wrist shot from the slot at 15:55 of the first.
The Mallards return to action next Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. on home ice against the St. Charles Chill. Tickets for next Saturday's game and all other Mallards regular season home games are now on sale at Ticketmaster outlets, through ticketmaster.com, through Ticketmaster charge-by-phone toll free at 1-800-745-3000 or at the iWireless Center ticket office. 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 approaching their seventeenth season and 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 i wireless 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.com. Fans can also follow the Mallards via Twitter at twitter.com/myqcmallards
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