(RAPID CITY, S.D.) – Logan Nelson scored a power play goal in the third period to put the Rush on the board but Rapid City fell to the Idaho Steelheads by a score of 4-1 on Friday night at The Monument Ice Arena. The Rush had their six-game point streak snapped and were eliminated from playoff contention with the loss.
The game stayed knotted at 0-0 until the final minutes of the second period when Idaho’s Owen Headrick came charging down the right wing. He uncorked a slap shot that beat Daniil Chechelev high on the glove side, giving the Steelheads a 1-0 advantage.
They added to that lead in the third, first when Justin Misiak put a shot on net that Chechelev stopped but was able to poke home the rebound. Then, a Rush neutral zone turnover eventually led to a Jade Miller backhand chance that he finished, pushing the advantage to 3-0.
Later, with the Rush on a power play, Logan Nelson controlled the puck on the right wing boards and sent a slap pass to towards the front of the net. It caromed off an Idaho defenseman’s stick and bounced between the legs of Adam Scheel to cut the deficit to 3-1. But Idaho would strike again as while multiple players collided in front of the Rapid City net net, Misiak popped the puck over Chechelev’s shoulder to push the lead to 4-1.
Nelson’s goal was his 21st of the season and Chechelev made 28 saves on 42 shots in the loss. Rapid City dropped to 33-34-4-0 in the loss while Idaho improved to 57-11-1-2. The Steelheads have now set new ECHL records with 57 wins and 117 points. Rapid City’s loss combined with wins from the Utah Grizzlies and Kansas City Mavericks have eliminated the Rush from playoff contention. The Rush will conclude their season on Saturday night with one final matchup with the Steelheads. It’s Racing Night and Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at The Monument Ice Arena.
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