Before the first puck had dropped, Rampage head coach Chuck Weber benched Florida Panthers prospects Quinton Howden and Alexander Petrovic. Replacing them were Drew Shore and AHL veteran Sean Sullivan, hoping to play a more defensive focused game. The Rampage didn’t get the memo until the second period, as the Barons scored their only goal in regulation just 78 seconds into the game. San Antonio would add to their AHL playoff lead in power play goals with their 13th in the third period, but after extending the game into overtime, Oklahoma City outplayed the Rampage, finally taking advantage of a turnover that cost the Rampage their first home playoff loss in 2012. Postgame notes and video after the jump.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | Final | |
| Oklahoma City Barons | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| San Antonio Rampage | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Scoring Summary
1st Period
3rd Period
- 11:06-SA: James Wright 3 (power play) (Assist: Jon Matsumoto 8, Evan Barlow 3), 1-1
Overtime
- 15:50-OKC: Chris VandeVelde 2 (Tanner House 2, Dan Ringwald 3) 2-1 OKC
The Good
- Jacob Markstrom: After allowing nine goals in the first two games in the series, Markstrom finally played like Markstrom. He stopped 34 of 36 shots and bailed the defense out with many great saves in regulation and even more so in overtime.
- The Penalty Kill: While the Rampage’s powerplay gets all the attention on special teams, the kill has been solid all series. Allowing just two goals in the series, one in each game, the PK killed all four penalties, holding the Barons lead to one until the Rampage scored the tying goal.
The Bad
- Overtime: The Rampage failed to record a single shot in overtime until a Teemu Hartikainen goalie interference call gave the Rampage a powerplay. They were able to get six shots on net before the final goal.
The Ugly
- Sean Sullivan: Earned his minus-two, since each goal was his fault. A defensive mistake in the first period caused the first goal and his collision with teammate Eric Selleck in overtime cost the Rampage the game. It’s ironic, since coach Weber started Sullivan because Petrovic’s poor defense.
- The First Period: For the second straight game, the Barons outplayed the Rampage in the first period. The Rampage had only three shots on goal to the Barons 11. Lucky for the Rampage, Markstrom was on top of his game.
Postgame Video
May 7, 2012- Post-game Interviews (via sarampage)
Next Game: Game Four is set for May 10 at 8 pm EST from San Antonio.
Other Prospect News
- OHL: David Pacan scored an assist in Niagara’s 3-2 loss to London. London leads the series 2-1.
- USHL: Edward Wittchow scored two assists in Waterloo’s 6-2 win over Lincoln. Waterloo leads the series 2-1.