RAPID CITY- Night and day.

According to Rapid City Rush coach Joe Ferras, that was the difference in the two Rapid City Rush teams that took the ice for a two-game Central Hockey League set against the Arizona Sundogs last weekend.

Ferras said Rapid City looked like a deer in the headlights en route to a 7-1 embarassment at the hands of the defending CHL champion Sundogs on Friday night at Tim's Toyota Arena in Prescott, Valley, Ariz.

"We came out flat. We took four penalties right off the bat, and (goalie) Lanny Ramage tough-handed about five saves in a penalty-kill and 5-on-3 situation there in the first period," Ferras said.

"It could have been 3-0 or 4-0 right away, but he kept us in the game. The trouble was, he didn't get any help, and it got away from us. It was a poor effort, no other way around it. It was one of those nights when everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. We didn't even need the equipment on because we didn't hit anybody," he said.

On Saturday, a different Rapid City team needed just 37 seconds to set the tone. Rush co-captain Luke Fritshaw went gloves-off with Arizona's Karl Sellen in a less-than-subtle demonstration that Rapid City wasn't going to get pushed around again.

And less than two minutes later, Chris Lipsett's goal gave the Rush the lead they wouldn't relinquish, and this time it was Rapid City's turn to light up the scoreboard for a 7-4 win. What sparked the overnight turnaround?

Fritshaw said the reversal of fortunes actually started in the third period Friday night, with Rapid City trailing 6-1.

"It was all coach," Fritshaw said. "He came in after the second period and said you guys better pick it up and play a physical game."

Ferras wanted physical, and that's what he got.

Rapid City held Arizona to just one more goal in the Rush-Sundog version of Friday Night at the Fights.

No less than 12 penalties were called for multiple dust-ups in the final frame.

Three players, Arizona'a Peter Cartwright, who scored a hat trick against Rapid City, Sundog defenseman Kyle Hood and Rapid City's Stephen Cooke were all sent to the showers for scrapping.

"That was one of the bigger parts of the game we've been lacking was the physical play and being tough on the ice," Fritshaw said. "When teams know that you'll lay down and they can get away with stuff, it makes it a lot easier on them."

On Saturday, Ferras decided to have his team forego the usual game-day skate in favor of a three-hour-long meeting to analyze video of the previous night's shellacking.

Rush player-assistant Mark DeSantis said the meeting wasn't pretty, but it was productive.

"I think over the past few weeks we kind of got into a comfort zone," said DeSantis. "Guys were thinking that we didn't have to try as hard. We were relying on one line to do all the scoring."

Fritshaw said the brouhaha with Sellen was a continuation of the fisticuffs from the previous night, but it had the desired effect.

"I knew it's my part of the game to be physical. I knew right off the bat to lay on a big hit and ended up getting into a fight," Fritshaw said. "I knew it would send a good message and it did. The guys came out physical the rest of the game and we dominated."

Fritshaw said Friday night's game video showed Rapid City players turning away from checking Arizona players. On Saturday, those harassing board- and stick-checks were being finished.

"We just realize that's how we have to play to win games, and it's a lot more fun to play hockey like that, instead of when you're running around and playing scared and the other team is running all over you," Fritshaw said.

Ferras said the long video session wasn't meant as a yell-a-thon, but rather to make sure all 18 players knew their roles.

"We just needed to make sure we were all on the same page," Ferras said.

The Rush received goals from Lipsett, Chris Di Ubaldo, Garrett Prosofsky, current CHL scoring leader Rich Hansen, a pair from R.G. Flath and the first professional goal scored by defenseman-turned-forward Paul Holder.

"It was a solid, solid effort all the way around," Ferras said of the Rush's third win of the season. "We scored seven goals and created enough chances to score a lot more."

"Hopefully it sent a message to everyone on the team including myself, that that's how how we have to play to win games," Fritshaw said. "It can't be just a once in a while thing. It's got to be every night."

"With a good week of practice and focusing on what we learned from Saturday's game, I think we're heading in the right direction," DeSantis said. "No passengers - we need 18 guys playing every night."