GAME NOTES: 12/7 vs UTAH

REGULAR SEASON GAME  TWENTY-FOUR - 12/7/2019

Rapid City Rush vs Utah Grizzlies - 7:05 p.m. MDT

Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Ice Arena

THIS SEASON

Utah: 20gp, 8-8-3-1, 20pts (T-5th Mountain)

• Last Game - 12/6 @ Rapid City (5-4 OTL)

Rush: 23gp, 15-5-3-0, 33pts (T-1st ECHL)

• Last Game - 12/6 vs Utah (5-4 W/OT)

HEAD TO HEAD - 3 of 13 Games Played

Utah: 0-1-2-0 (2pts)

• Power Play: 17.6% (3/17)
• Penalty Kill: 80.9% (17/21)
• Leading Scorer(s): Taylor Richart (3gp, 2g-3ast-5pts)

Rush: 3-0-0-0 (6pts)

• Power Play: 19.1% (4/21)
• Penalty Kill: 82.4% (14/17)
• Leading Scorer(s): Saulnier/Phillips (4pts Each)

NOTES

HISTORY WAS MADE: With their exhilarating overtime win last night, the Rush have re-written their history books with 9 consecutive wins on home ice. Peter Quenneville’s overtime dagger erased the previous entry of 8 straight home wins, which was set back in the 2011-12 CHL season and never matched. The win also puts the Rush back in a tie for first place in the ECHL, which has been a recurring theme over the last month.

CONTINUED SUCCESS: Against the Grizzlies, the Rush have had great success, regardless of their finish in the standings over the last two-plus seasons. With the win last night, Rush Head Coach Daniel Tetrault improved to a record of 20-7-0-1 against Utah since being named the Head Coach in the 2017-18 season. Additionally, the Rush are on an active 12-game point streak and 7-game winning streak in Rapid City, only suffering a loss ONCE in those games by virtue of a shootout on November 30, 2018 with a 4-3 final score. As a matter of fact, the last time the Grizzlies beat the Rush in regulation in Rapid City was on January 21, 2018.

LET’S SEE THE TEDDY BEARS FLY!: In conjunction with “Hockey N’ Hope” cancer awareness night, the Rush also meshed their 12th Annual “Teddy Bear Toss” into tonight’s matchup. All-time, when given the greenlight to hurl stuffed animals on the ice, the Rush are 6-3-2, and have won two straight, including against Utah in a 3-0 shutout last season. In the previous 11 Teddy Bear Tosses, a defenseman has scored the “Teddy Bear Goal” three times, and only once has the team been shutout. The “Teddy Bear Goal Scorers” are Rich Hansen (2008), Brenden Cook (2009), Gio Flamminio (D, 2010), Levi Lind (2011), Jarrett Konkle (2012), Johan Ryd (2014), Zach Cohen (2015), Zach Tolkinen (D, 2016), Peter Sivak (2017), Riley Weselowski (D, 2018).

FREAKY FRIDAY: Friday games have proven to be quite freaky for the Rush, despite going 5-0-2-0 at the start of the weekend. Last night, a crazy five-goal third period leads to the Rush forcing overtime, earning the win. Last week, it was Giovanni Fiore at the buzzer to end three unanswered Rush goals for another win. The week before that, Keeghan Howdeshell tied the game late against Tulsa, setting Tyler Coulter up for the game-winner. Two weeks prior to that, the Rush came back from down 2-0 against Idaho to win in a 7-round shootout. And the first Friday home game of the season featured a 4-goal performance from Kelly Klima, the second time ever in Rush history that has been accomplished.

WE’RE GOING STREAKING!: Four players carry statistical streaks into the rematch against Utah tonight:

• Peter Quenneville - has points in nine straight games (9gp, 9g-8ast-17pts)
• Tyler Coulter - has points in six straight games (6gp, 5g-3ast-8pts)
• Stephane Legault - has assists and points in four straight games (4gp, 2g-5ast-7pts)
• Brennan Saulnier - has points in three straight games (3gp, 1g-3ast-4pts)