The Seals were firing on all cylinders right from the opening whistle. No surprise, Trevor Baptiste the won the game’s opening faceoff and early on it was all Seals. It took the home side just 1:06 to score the game’s opening goal when Trent DiCicco found a hard-charging Dylan Watson on a 3-on-2 fast break for a 1-0 lead. Just 13 seconds later, Pat Kavanagh found Tre Leclaire driving toward the net and Leclaire beat Rush goaltender Frank Scigliano on a low bouncing shot for a 2-0 Seals lead. The Seals stretched the lead to 3-0 just inside the 5:00 mark when Zach Currier found the team’s leading scorer on the season, Connor Robinson, who beat Scigliano to the glove side, and three and a half minutes later, Robinson struck again, firing a blast from just inside the restraining line to give the Seals a 4-0 lead.
It took the Rush 17:29 to score their first goal of the night and they needed a two-man advantage to do it, capitalizing on a couple of Seals penalties to score their first goal to draw within 4-1 early in the second. Three minutes and change later, Rush defenseman Mike Messenger was called for a five-minute major penalty for an illegal cross check on Wes Berg in front of the Saskatchewan net that was reduced to a two minute penalty after review, but Berg still made the Rush pay, scoring a power play goal off a pass from Robinson 1:37 later. After Saskatchewan scored to get within 5-2, Watson, scored his second of the night while driving toward the net to put the Seals back up by four, 6–2. The Rush scored on a power play inside of four minutes and they struck again on the man advantage with 41 seconds remaining in the half, capitalizing on a five-minute major penalty against Seals defenseman Ari Steenhuis for an illegal cross check to get within two at 6-4 going into the half.
The Rush outscored the Seals 4-1 in the third quarter to go ahead, 8-7. Still on the power-play to open the quarter, Saskatchewan’s Robert Church scored 33 seconds in to draw the rush within a goal, 6–5. A short time later, the Seals returned the favor, capitalizing on an illegal substitution penalty against Saskatchewan and Berg found Leclaire to put the Seals back up by two, 7–5. Saskatchewan scored again midway through the third and then after Zach Currier was called for goaltender interference, the Rush scored their second power play goal of the quarter to tie the game, 7–7 with just under four minutes remaining in the third. A double-minor penalty against Messenger gave the Seals a four-minute power play late in the third but it was the Rush who got the best of it, scoring a late shorthanded goal to take their first lead of the night, 8–7.
Saskatchewan struck early in the fourth quarter to take a 9–7 lead, but Connor Robinson completed his hat trick shortly after to bring the Seals within one. The Rush quickly responded to extend their lead to 10–8.
San Diego battled through multiple penalties, including a two-man disadvantage, but Saskatchewan capitalized with 4:05 remaining to make it 11–8. The Seals added a late goal with 1:28 left to cut the deficit to two, but an empty-netter sealed a 12–9 Rush victory.
Seals go on the road to Oshawa next Saturday, February 14th to battle the Firewolves and are BACK HOME FEBRUARY 21ST FOR MARGARITAVILLE NIGHT!
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