GAME NOTES: 3/25 vs Atlanta

GAME #61 vs Atlanta

3/25/22 | The Monument Ice Arena | 7:05 P.M.

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LAST TIME OUT: The Rapid City Rush fell in a 5-2 hole and then scored twice in the third period to bring themselves within one but eventually were beaten by the Kansas City Mavericks, 5-4, Sunday afternoon at The Monument Ice Arena. Brett Gravelle and Ryan Zuhlsdorf both had a goal and an assist and Rapid City’s season-long six-game point streak was snapped in the loss.

HOME COOKIN’: Rapid City is six games into a stretch of nine consecutive games at The Monument Ice Arena. The Rush have gone 4-1-0-1 during the homestand so far and, overall, are 15-10-3-2 on home ice this season. Following the three games against Atlanta this weekend, the Rush will play their next six games away from home.

THE OTHER GUYS: The Rush and Gladiators meet for only the fourth time in franchise history on Friday night. Atlanta has visited Rapid City once before, for three games in February of 2019. The Rush went 1-2-0 in those three games. Atlanta leads the South Division and is tied for the second-most points in the ECHL with 80.

GRAVELLE ROCKS: Brett Gravelle had a goal and an assist on Sunday afternoon, his second straight game with two points. In his last five games, the rookie winger has three goals and three assists. He is now second on the Rush with 21 goals, trailing only Stephen Baylis, who has 22.

RAPID CITY SUITS HIM: Ryan Zuhlsdorf has been red-hot since joining the Rush in a trade from the Indy Fuel. He has two goals and 11 assists in 12 games for Rapid City along with a +11 plus/minus rating. Zuhlsdorf is on a nine-game point streak, during which he has two goals and ten assists. His point streak is tied with Alec Butcher for the longest by a Rush this year. For Indy this season, Zuhlsdorf had a goal, three assists and was –1 in 29 games played.

PENALTY ASSASSINS: The Rush went 5-for-5 on the penalty kill on Sunday and have now killed off 20 of the last 21 penalties they have committed. That comes in a stretch of six games. Rapid City leads the ECHL in penalty kill percentage at 85.5% on the season.

ODDS AND ENDS: Of Rapid City’s 12 remaining games, six will come against opponents who are outside of its division...center Calder Brooks was called up to the AHL Henderson Silver Nights on Tuesday...goaltender David Tendeck was reassigned by the NHL Arizona Coyotes from the Rush to the AHL Tucson Roadrunners on Monday...the Rush signed defenseman Alex Stevens on Monday. Stevens has combined for two goals and two assists in 20 games between the Wheeling Nailers and Norfolk Admirals this season.

UP NEXT: The Rush continue their weekend with Atlanta on Saturday night. It’s First Responders Night, presented by Loyal Plumbing, and puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at The Monument Ice Arena.