Rhinos prepare for decisive game 5 in playoffs
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The El Paso Rhinos forced a decisive game five in the semifinals against the Shreveport, Louisiana, MudBugs after their 3-1 victory at home Saturday night, April 27.
The Rhinos entered the matchup in a must-win situation trailing in the series 2-1. It was either win and force a tiebreaker, or lose and end the season.
El Paso secured the lead in the first period and never looked back, taking the win and living on another day in the postseason.
At the close of game four, the team immediately headed back to the locker room and packed their bags for the bus to leave that same night.
That’s 40 hours of travel and five hockey games in just over a week’s time.
Despite seeming like what might be an overwhelming schedule for some, the Rhinos say that this is what they’ve waited the whole season for.
“We’ll definitely have film and get ready for for Monday (on the bus),” said Rhinos defenseman Alexandre Pellerin. “If not, we just like to relax on the bus, get some sleep, get some rest, hydrate. That’s the most important. If not, just, just play for it. Just have fun and work hard.”
“When it’s all said and done, when the puck drops on Monday night, it’s not going to make any difference,” said head coach Joe Coombs. “It’s our ability to grind. That’s what playoffs are about. It doesn’t matter at what level. It’s what life’s about. We’ve tried to instill that in our team where it doesn’t matter how you feel. It doesn’t matter how you’re feeling. You’ve got to go. And that’s going to be the test.”
Puck drop in Shreveport is set for 6 p.m. MT / 7 p.m. CT.
The winner of this game will face the Lone Star Brahmas in the next round of playoffs beginning Friday.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
