The San Antonio Rampage and Chicago Wolves had an epic five-game playoff series in 2012, resulting in the first postseason series win for the Silver and Black in team history. On a cold night in Rosemont, Illinois three years later that playoff type intensity was still felt between the two clubs.
Wade Megan scored his first goal of the season, but it was not enough as the Rampage suffered a 3-2 overtime loss to the Wolves (27-19-5-1, 60 points) in front of 11,570 fans inside Allstate Arena on Saturday night. The game was No. 1,000 for the franchise since beginning play in 2002.
San Antonio got the scoring started when Chicago turned the puck over at the blue line and Megan buried the puck past Chicago goaltender Jordan Binnington at 2:40 of the opening period. The Wolves answered back with a goal from Jeremy Welsh as Blake Parlett turned the puck over, Welsh tipped in the puck over the shoulder of Rampage netminder Dan Ellis at 8:39 to tie the game 1-1 going into the second period.
Chicago took the lead in the middle frame when Shane Harper put home his 22nd goal of the season after getting the pass from Magnus Paajarvi and Pat Cannone at 2:49. San Antonio answered back when Garrett Wilson beat Binnington for a power-play goal just 1:02 later. Bobby Butler and Brett Olsen assisted on Wilson’s 18th goal of the year as we went to the third and final period locked at 2-2.
Despite the Wolves outshooting the Rampage 9-7 in the final frame, neither team would light the lamp and San Antonio would go into overtime for the 15th time this season. In the extra period of 3-on-3 overtime play, Cannone got loose on a breakaway and beat Ellis to give Chicago the 3-2 win and secure their second point.
San Antonio out-shot Chicago 33-30 in the game. Ellis finished with 27 saves on 30 shots he faced, while Binnington made 31 saves to earn the win. The Wolves were 0-for-3 on the power-play, while the Silver and Black were 1-for-4 with the man advantage.
The Rampage are now 29-18-5-0 (63 points) on the season and will return to the ice tomorrow for a rematch with the Wolves at 3 p.m. inside Allstate Arena.
* Rampage 2-3-1-0 (5 points) on Rodeo Road Trip
