GAME NOTES: 12/11/21 vs Kansas City

GAME #23 vs Kansas City

12/11/21 | The Monument Ice Arena | 7:05 P.M.

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LAST TIME OUT: Stephen Baylis scored twice, Logan Nelson had three assists and Ryan Valentini and Alec Butcher each had a goal and an assist as the Rapid City Rush hammered the Kansas City Mavericks, 7-3, Friday night at The Monument Ice Arena.  

LIGHT ‘EM UP: Rapid City set a season high with seven goals in Friday’s win. That eclipsed their previous high mark of six, set in a 6-1 win over the Allen Americans on November 19. Friday was the fourth time in 22 games that the Rush had scored at least five goals. Rapid City averages 3.18 goals per game, the 11th most in the ECHL.

HITTING THE NET: Stephen Baylis scored twice on Friday, his team-leading 12th and 13th goals of the season. Baylis is tied for second in the ECHL in goals, trailing only Toledo’s T.J. Hensick, who has 14. His second goal on Friday was scored on a penalty shot, the first successful penalty shot in the ECHL this season.

APPLES, ANYONE?: Logan Nelson tallied three assists in Rapid City’s 7-3 win on Friday and now leads the ECHL with 19 assists on the season. Nelson is second in the league in points as he has 27 on eight goals and 19 assists. Three assists on Friday represents the most assists by a Rush skater in any game this season. It was Nelson’s second three-point game and ninth multi-point game.

WELCOME BACK: Ryan Valentini and Calder Brooks were both activated off injured reserve on Friday and each contributed in the 7-3 win over Kansas City. Valentini notched a goal and an assist and Brooks had an assist and was +2. It was Brooks’ Rapid City debut and Valentini returned for his third game of the season after missing the previous 19. He now has two goals and three assists in three games.

WICHERS TO TUCSON: Rush defenseman Quinn Wichers was called up to the AHL and the Tucson roadrunners on Saturday morning. Wichers has appeared in 19 games for Rapid City and has two goals and one assist. He is set to make his AHL debut.

ODDS AND ENDS: The Mavericks were charged with 62 penalty minutes on Friday and sent the Rush to nine power plays. That is both the most penalty minutes by a Rapid City opponent and the most power plays the Rush have had in a game this season...the Rush matched a season high with two power play goals on Friday, the fourth time this season they have hit that mark...Rapid City is now 4-0-0-0 during Friday home games...Lukas Parik’s .925 SV% is tenth in the ECHL and sixth among rookie goaltenders.

UP NEXT: Rapid City will return to the road for the first of three games next week in Boise against the Idaho Steelheads on Wednesday night. Puck drop at Idaho Central Arena is scheduled for 7:10 PM.