The San Antonio Rampage had to work extra to pick up shootout wins over the Utica Comets and Milwaukee Admirals. Unfortunately, they came up a goal short against the Rochester Americans on Saturday night and had their four-game unbeaten streak snapped.
On Monday, the Rampage had to go to the shootout to pull out a 3-2 win over the visiting Utica Comets. It was the first meeting between the two clubs this season. Quinton Howden scored at 7:34 of the opening period from Greg Rallo and Jared Gomes to stake San Antonio to an early lead. Gomes would finally notch his first of the season later in the frame, from Howden and Rallo, to give the Rampage a two-goal advantage. Nicklas Jensen’s rebound goal cut the deficit in half before the first intermission. After a scoreless second period, Jensen would beat Jacob Markstrom again at the 13:21 mark of the third to tie the game. Bobby Butler would pot the winner in the third round of the skills competition, while the Comets failed to get one past “The Alien.” Markstrom finished the game with 34 saves to post his seventh win of the season. Mathieu Corbeil took the loss for Utica.
The Milwaukee Admirals were the guests at the AT&T Center on Thursday and the Rampage came away with a second straight shootout win, this time by a 5-4 count. Rob Madore replaced Jacob Markstrom after the second period and surrendered two goals in third, but made two saves in overtime and stopped five of six in the shootout to get the win. Markstrom turned aside 17 of 19 shots before leaving the game with an upper-body injury. Joey Crabb opened the scoring with a power-play goal at the 6:59 mark from Matt Gilroy and Doug Janik. Wade Megan added to the lead seven minutes later, with the only assist going to Garrett Wilson. Mathieu Tousignant scored later in the first to get the Admirals on the board. Milwaukee tied the game early in the second period on a Kevin Henderson tally. Crabb blasted home another power-play goal shortly after that. Vincent Trocheck and Gilroy picked up the helpers on Crabb’s sixth. With Markstrom out, Taylor Beck and Simon Moser beat Madore early in the third to give the Admirals the lead. Bobby Butler scored from Wilson and Megan 41 seconds after the Moser goal to forge a 4-4 tie. San Antonio outshot Milwaukee 6-2 in the extra session. but couldn’t get the puck past Magnus Hellberg. Logan Shaw notched the decisive shootout goal in the sixth round after Trocheck tallied for San Antonio in the fourth and Miikka Salomaki replied in the fifth for the Admirals. Madore denied Moser in round six of the skills competition and finished the game with 16 saves.
With Jacob Markstrom out, Rob Madore would get the start on Saturday night against the Rochester Americans. The Amerks jumped out to an early lead when Johan Larsson fired home a rebound at the 2:18 mark. Doug Janik would blast home a second period power-play marker to tie the game. The goal, Janik’s first of the year, was set up by Matt Gilroy and new acquisition Ryan Martindale. Rochester regained the lead later in the frame when Kevin Sundher beat Madore. Quinton Howden evened things up early in the final frame with his sixth goal of the season. Logan Shaw picked up the only helper to collect his first AHL point. Jamie Tardif would provide the decisive goal with the Americans on a power play. The assists went to Larsson and Luke Adam. Nathan Lieuwen made 26 saves to post the win, while Madore stopped 34 shots in a solid, but losing effort. Rampage players Vincent Trocheck and Michael Houser were involved in a car accident before the game. Trocheck missed the tilt, while Houser rode the pine behind Madore. Both players are expected to be fine. Trocheck’s head did crack the windshield, but tests for a concussion were thankfully negative.
San Antonio (15-21-1-3) will be off for five days and then continue their homestand with games against the Iowa Wild on Friday and Saturday. The team will conclude the busy weekend by welcoming the Grand Rapids Griffins on Sunday.
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