GAME NOTES: 12/15/21 at Idaho

GAME #24 at Idaho

12/15/21 | Idaho Central Arena | 7:10 P.M.

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LAST TIME OUT: Stephen Baylis made it rain stuffed animals 1:16 into the first period and the Rush cruised to a 5-2 win over the Kansas City Mavericks, Saturday night on Rush Gives Back and Teddy Bear Toss night at The Monument Ice Arena. Calder Brooks scored twice and Logan Nelson and Alec Butcher each had a goal and two assists while David Tendeck made 34 saves in net.

POPULATING THE LEADERBOARD: Logan Nelson has recorded back-to-back three-point games and is second in the league in points with 30 on nine goals and 21 assists. He is one point behind Toledo’s TJ Hensick, who leads the league with 31 points on 14 goals and 17 assists. Nelson paces the ECHL in assists; his 21 helpers are three more than second-place Zach O’Brien of Newfoundland, who has 18. Stephen Baylis has three goals in his last two games and is now tied with Hensick for the league lead with 14 goals. Baylis has 23 points overall, 14 goals and nine assists, which has him tied for tenth in the ECHL in points.

A LONG, SHORT STREAK: Ryan Valentini had two assists on Saturday night and is now riding a four-game point streak that dates back to the first game of the season. Valentini has a point in every game he has appeared in this season, as he played two games to open the year, hit injured reserve, missed 19 games, and returned on Friday. He had a goal and an assist in his first game back on Friday. In his four games for the Rush, Valentini has seven points on two goals and five assists.

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 made his AHL debut on Saturday and has appeared now in two games for the Roadrunners.

THE OTHER GUYS: Idaho enters Wednesday’s game atop the ECHL Mountain division and having won four-straight games. The Steelheads are a stingy defensive squad, they average only 2.09 goals against per game, the fewest in the league, and are tied for the best penalty kill at 86.2%.

POWERED UP: Rapid City went 4-for-12 on the power play on Saturday in its 5-2 win over Kansas City, setting single-game highs both for power play chances and goals. Over their past two games, the Rush are 6-for-21 with a man advantage. For the season, Rapid City has the sixth-best power play in the ECHL at 22.9%.

ODDS AND ENDS: In his first two games back from IR, Calder Brooks has two goals and an assist...the Rush have won back-to-back games for just the second time this season...David Tendeck has allowed two goals or fewer in his last three starts.

UP NEXT: The Rush and Steelheads meet again on Friday night. Puck drop at Idaho Central Arena is scheduled for 7:10 PM.