GAME NOTES: Game 2 vs Allen

2022 Kelly Cup Playoffs | GAME 2 vs Allen 

Rush Lead Series, 1-0

4/22/22 | The Monument Ice Arena | 7:05 P.M.

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LAST TIME OUT: Brett Gravelle scored on a deflection to give the Rush the lead late in the third period and Rapid City went on to beat the Allen Americans, 3-2, in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series, Friday night at The Monument Ice Arena. Max Coatta had a goal and an assist, Avery Peterson scored Rapid City’s first goal of the postseason and Lukas Parik made 32 saves on 34 shots in net.

THE FORMAT: The first two rounds of the Kelly Cup Playoffs feature matchups inside respective divisions, as the division champion takes on the fourth-place finisher and the second and third seeds clash. The winner of each division matchup will meet in the second round, and the semifinals will feature the Mountain Division champ against the Central Division in the Western Conference while the North and South winners meet up in the east. Each series is best-of-seven and it takes 16 wins to bring home the Kelly Cup.

A DISPARITY IN EXPERIENCE: Allen’s roster features three players who have won the Kelly Cup; Chad Costello and Spencer Asuchak were on its 2015 and 2016 championship teams and Eric Roy was on the 2016 team. The Americans have a combined 330 games of Kelly Cup Playoff experience on their roster entering the series. Conversely, Rapid City’s combined ECHL playoff games prior to Game 1 was 11.

A SUCCESSFUL FIRST CHAPTER: In Scott Burt’s first season as head coach of the Rush, the team finished 36-25-6-5 and its 83 points were the most in the ECHL era of franchise history. That surpassed the 81 points Rapid City recorded in the 2014-15 season when it went 37-28-2-5, the last time the team qualified for the postseason.

LOOKING BACK: The Rush and Americans have met in the playoffs twice in their franchise’s respective histories, once in the CHL and once in the ECHL. Rapid City and Allen faced off in the second round of the 2015 Kelly Cup Playoffs, with Allen winning the series, 4-2. Rapid City and Allen also met in the 2010 Ray Miron President’s Cup Finals in the CHL, where the Rush beat the Americans in seven games.

ODDS AND ENDS: Five of the eight Kelly Cup Playoff games played on Friday night were decided by one goal and three went to overtime...Max Coatta was the only player in Friday’s game to notch multiple points. He recorded a goal and an assist playing on his 28th birthday...the Rush went 0-for-3 on the power play on Friday and are now without a power play goal in their last 20 chances, dating back to the regular season...Lukas Parik faced Allen one time during the regular season, making 33 saves on 34 shots in a 6-1 win on November 19. Including his Game 1 performance, Parik now has a 1.50 GAA and .956 save percentage against the Americans this season.

UP NEXT: The series moves to Texas and the Americans’ home ice for Game 3 on Tuesday night. Puck drop at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CDT.