Highlights:
AT&T Center – It has been a common theme for the San Antonio Rampage this season. Give up a late goal only to lose in overtime. However, on this night they would rewrite the script.
The Rampage held on for a 5-4 shootout win over the Stockton Heat in front of 6,359 fans at the AT&T Center on Friday night as the Silver and Black rebounded from their first regulation loss of the season to the Texas Stars.
Stockton got on the scoreboard first when former Rampage center Drew Shore burned his old team with a shot that beat San Antonio netminder Roman Will at 3:23. The Silver and Black responded just over two minutes later when Marc Andre-Cliche tied the game at one. Colin Smith beat Stockton goaltender Kevin Poulin to give the Rampage the 2-1 advantage going into the middle frame.
The Heat tied the game at two apiece with Markus Granlund’s goal at 4:54 of the second period with a shot that found its way past Will’s legs. However, Mikko Rantanen answered back when he punched the puck home past Poulin at 16:56 to give the Rampage the 3-2 lead going into the final frame.
Granlund scored his second goal of the night to tie the game up at three with a power play goal at 8:30 of the third period. The Rampage were given a 5-on-3 advantage late in the game and took advantage as Smith buried his second of the night to put San Antonio back on top 4-3. A late shorthanded tally from Stockton’s Garnet Hathaway tied the game for the fourth time and sent the game into overtime.
Neither team would find the back of net in the extra period and the Rampage would play in their first shootout of the season. Smith, Mikko Rantanen and Joey Hishon each scored in the skills competition to seal the 5-4 win for the Rampage.
“When we had it 4-3 we were pressing a little bit too much on the power play and gave up a shorthanded,” Rampage Head Coach Dean Chynoweth said. “In the end we got the two points out of the shootout so it was a big win for us.”
San Antonio was outshot 7-2 in overtime and 38-35 for the game. But it was the three goals in the shootout that was the difference. Rantanen was spent time in the penalty box in the overtime period, but redeemed himself with a goal in the shootout.
“It was nice,” Rantanen said. “I knew what I wanted to do and its easier in a shootout so you just have to know what you want to do before you go.”
Will made 34 saves on 38 Stockton shots, while Poulin stopped 30 of 34 shots in the loss. San Antonio finished 1-for-7 on the power play, while the Heat were 1-for-6.
The Rampage are now 7-1-4-0 (18 points) on the season and will return to the ice on Sunday afternoon to welcome the Texas Stars to the AT&T Center at 4 p.m.
