Rampage Eliminate Wolves 3-2 In Double OT

Defenseman Roman Derlyuk (left) scored the game-winner giving San Antonio their first playoff series victory in franchise history.

Roman Derlyuk scored 5:28 into double overtime to give the San Antonio Rampage their first ever playoff series win with a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Wolves at Allstate Arena on Friday night. After defeating the Wolves in Game 5 and winning the series 3-2, the Rampage now move on to face the Oklahoma City Barons in the Western Conference Semifinals.

After a scoreless opening period, the Rampage broke through for the game’s first goal with a power-play tally 7:23 into the second. Evan Barlow picked up his first goal of the postseason on a point shot that beat Chicago backstop Eddie Lack and handed San Antonio a 1-0 advantage.

San Antonio extended their lead to 2-0 when a Mark Cullen shot from the right circle eluded Lack at 8:00 of the third. The tally was Cullen’s first of the playoffs.

Brad Hunt cut the Wolves deficit to 2-1 10:34 into the third period. He registered his first goal of the series on a turnaround shot from the left circle that found its way past Rampage netminder Jacob Markstrom.

Chicago knotted the score at 2-2 with 1:08 remaining in the third when Darren Haydar’s shot from the half boards beat Markstrom over his left shoulder. Haydar’s goal was his fourth of the series.

In double overtime, Derlyuk took a feed from Jon Matsumoto and buried the puck past a sprawled out Lack to hand San Antonio the win with his first ever AHL playoff goal.

Markstrom made 37 saves on 39 Wolves shots while Lack turned aside 34 of the 37 Rampage attempts he faced.

The Rampage and Barons will begin their series on Thursday night with a 7:00 p.m. (CST) contest at the Cox Convention Center.