First Playoff Appearance, First Victory

It’s been three year’s since the Rage took over the Broomfield Event Center and finally their loyal fans got the opportunity to see a postseason contest, nonetheless a victory. With the win, the Rage move within one game of clinching the best-of-three series. If they win Rocky Mountain will face intra-state rival the Colorado Eagles. Everyone in Colorado is pulling for that to happen.

Rage fans saw their franchise break into the CHL with a poor rookie season but coach Tracy Egeland has improved the team each year. He was honored as a head coach of one of the all star team last season because his 35-game improvement was the biggest turnaround between seasons. Now they’ve stepped their game up once again and made the playoffs.

It’s great to have two successful and entertaining CHL franchises in Colorado!

Read below for the recap.

Showstopper Reid Takes Game One: Rage is outshot 52-19 in 4-3 win over Bossier-Shreveport  

Courtesy of Rocky Mountain Rage

Broomfield, Colo. – Rocky Mountain Rage goaltender Scott Reid did everything but literally stand on his head Monday night at the Broomfield Event Center. He led his team with 49 saves past the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs 4-3 in Game 1 of the best-of-three Northern Conference Opening Round playoff series.

The Rage was outshot 52-19, but it did not describe the excitement fans witnessed. Ryan McLeod struck first for the Rage. He dug the puck away from the left wing boards and fired a long slap shot past Bossier-Shreveport goaltender Ken Carroll from just inside the blueline at 6:40. Rocky Mountain’s top two point scorers Colt King and Daymen Rycroft assisted on the play.

At 10:26 Daymen Rycroft almost put the Rage up by two goals as he caught Carroll out of his net and hit the inside right post. It was ruled however that the puck never crossed the line.

The Rage earned a two goal lead on their second powerplay opportunity of the game at 12:19. Blueliner Pat Sutton shot the puck on the stick side of Carroll. Nathan Gillies picked up the short rebound and shot it in net.

The Mudbugs did not make their first shot on net in the second period until the 6:51 mark, but it also resulted in their first goal of the game. A shot by Joe Blaznek was blocked in front of the net and popped up above Rage goaltender Reid. Kevin Cooper tapped it in net in mid air.

King answered back for the Rage just 28 seconds later when he beat two Bossier-Shreveport defenders in front of the net and slid the puck past the left pad of Carroll. The Mudbugs immediately exchanged goaltenders with Jon Horrell and as a result found new momentum. Travis Clayton answered King’s goal with his own tally 20 seconds later on the powerplay cutting Rocky Mountain’s lead to one goal once again.

The Rage narrowly avoided a tie game before intermission as Blaznek earned a breakaway and went one-on-one with goaltender Scott Reid with one minute remaining. Reid made the save as the net was knocked off its moorings.

In the third period, Wray gave Rocky Mountain a little breathing room at 9:13. David Morelli skated down the right wing and made a cross-ice pass to Wray who wristed the puck in on the stick side of Horrell.

Following the goal, Rocky Mountain went on back-to-back penalty kills. Reid led the way and maintained Rocky Mountain’s two-goal lead.

Cooper brought the Mudbugs within one goal at 16:34 and kept the Rage on their toes. The Mudbugs pulled their goaltender for the extra skater in the final minutes, but was unable to defeat Reid as time expired.

Kassab Named CHL’s Athletic Trainer of the Year: Columbine High School Grad Recognized by his Peers

Broomfield, Colo. – The Central Hockey League announced today that the Rocky Mountain Rage’s Osama Kassab has been named CHL Athletic Trainer of the Year in a vote taken among his peers.

“We’ve known for three years that Sam is very good at what he does, and it’s nice to see his fellow trainers recognize that, as well,” said Rage Head Coach and General Manager Tracy Egeland.  “It’s tough to put an exact total on it, but because our players trust that Sam knows his stuff inside and out, I am sure he’s saved us a number of man games that would have been lost to injury.  As a result, he’s helped us win more hockey games.  I have no doubt he’ll be doing this at a major league level someday.”

Kassab grew-up in the Denver area, having graduated from Columbine High School before earning an athletic training degree at Mesa State College.  He then interned at the University of Denver and completed a master’s in exercise science at Colorado State University, two Division One programs where he worked with both men and women athletes across a variety of sports, including hockey, soccer, lacrosse, and football.

His experience landed him a position at the world-renowned Steadman Hawkins Clinic, where he spent a year before joining Rocky Mountain in 2006 for the team’s inaugural season.  Kassab is contracted to the Rage through Physiotherapy Associates.