GAME NOTES: 3/26 vs Atlanta

GAME #62 vs Atlanta

3/26/22 | The Monument Ice Arena | 7:05 P.M.

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LAST TIME OUT: Alec Butcher had a goal and an assist and Lukas Parik made 29 saves but the Rush fell to the visiting Atlanta Gladiators in a shootout, 4-3, Friday night at The Monument Ice Arena. The Rush fell to 0-5 in shootouts this season but picked up a point for the 12th time in their past 14 games.

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

STILL HOT: Rapid City earned a point on Friday night with a shootout loss to Atlanta and now has points in 12 of its last 14 games. It has gone an impressive 9-2-0-3 during that 14-game stretch. The Rush gained a point yesterday on the division-leading Utah Grizzlies, who fell to Tulsa at home, and are now four points out of first place with two games in hand.

ROSTER SHUFFLE: The Rush made a handful of roster moves on Saturday morning, as Lukas Parik was recalled by the AHL Ontario Reign, Kenton Helgesen was activated off IR and rookie goaltender Brad Arvanitis was signed to a contract. Helgesen had missed the past 16 games on IR and has six goals and 14 assists in 41 games this season and Arvanitis is set to make his pro debut, joining the team directly from the NCAA ranks with Babson College.

RAPID CITY SUITS HIM: Ryan Zuhlsdorf has excelled since joining the Rush in a trade from the Indy Fuel. He has two goals and 12 assists in 13 games for Rapid City along with a +10 plus/minus rating. Zuhlsdorf is on a 10-game point streak, during which he has two goals and 11 assists. His streak is now the longest by a Rush this season.

PENALTY ASSASSINS: The Rush went 1-for-1 on the penalty kill on Friday and have now killed off 21 of the last 22 penalties they have committed. That comes in a stretch of seven games. Rapid City leads the ECHL in penalty kill percentage at 85.5% on the season.

ODDS AND ENDS: With the Ontario Reign’s recall of Lukas Parik, the Rush now have three goaltenders in the AHL with three different teams; Parik with Ontario, David Tendeck with the Tucson Roadrunners and Dillon Kelley with the Henderson Silver Knights...the Rush have won each of their past three Saturday night home games...Logan Nelson completed his two-game suspension on Friday and will play against Atlanta tonight for the first time since he suited up for them in 2019-20. Nelson had 12 goals and 29 assists in 55 games for the Gladiators that season.

UP NEXT: The Rush and Gladiators will finish their weekend series with a Sunday matinee. Puck drop at The Monument Ice Arena is scheduled for 4:05 p.m.