GAME #40 at Allen

1/26/22 | Credit Union of Texas Events Center | 7:05 P.M. CST

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LAST TIME OUT: Dillon Kelley made 31 saves on 32 shots, Alec Butcher, Stephen Baylis and Kenton Helgesen each scored and the Rapid City Rush beat the Idaho Steelheads, 3-1, Sunday afternoon at The Monument Ice Arena. The win was Rapid City’s fifth in its past six games.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Rapid City will play its next six games and 12 of its next 15 games away from home. The Rush have cleared out of The Monument with the building hosting the Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo Rapid City over the next two weeks. This season, Rapid City is 9-7-1-1 on the road and it has won its only game in Allen, a 4-1 victory on December 5.

DK DOMINANT: Dillon Kelley has gotten off to an extraordinarily hot start since joining the Rush on January 12. Over three appearances for Rapid City, Kelley is 3-0-0 with a 1.67 GAA and .948 save percentage. He was the starting goaltender for each of Rapid City’s wins this past weekend against Idaho and made 32 saves on 34 shots on Friday then 31 saves on 32 shots on Sunday. Kelley was the runner-up for this week’s Warrior Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week award. 

PICKING UP POINTS: Stephen Baylis had a goal and an assist on Sunday and now has points in each of his last six games played, registering one goal and six assists during the streak. It dates back to December 27 and Baylis has missed seven games to injury during its duration. He is Rapid City’s leading goal-scorer with 15 goals and is second on the team with 30 points.

THE RUSH ARE ROLLIN’: Rapid City comes into Wednesday’s game winners of five of its past six. The Rush also have points in seven of their last nine and ten of their past 13 games. Rapid City has the second-most points in the ECHL Mountain but is fourth in the division in points percentage.

THE OTHER GUYS: Allen enters Wednesday’s game having just been swept over three games in Utah against the Grizzlies. The Americans have just three wins in their past ten games but have won four of their past five at home.

ODDS AND ENDS: Wednesday is the fifth and final scheduled game between the Rush and Americans this season. Rapid City is 2-1-0-1 in the first four games...The Americans have the league’s worst defense, allowing an average of 3.82 goals against per game...The Rush waived goaltender Bailey Brkin on Monday after he had appeared in three games, going 2-1-0-0 with a 2.34 GAA and .920 save percentage. Brkin was then claimed off waivers on Tuesday by the Orlando Solar Bears.

UP NEXT: The Rush continue their road swing in Tulsa for the first of two games against the Oilers. Puck drop on Thursday night at the BOK Center is scheduled for 7:05 PM CST.