GAME NOTES: Game 2 at Utah

2022 Kelly Cup Playoffs | GAME 2 at Utah

Utah leads series, 1-0

5/7/22 | Maverik Center | 7:10 P.M.

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LAST TIME OUT: Logan Nelson scored in the second period for his fifth goal in his past four games but the Rapid City Rush never led as they were beaten by the Utah Grizzlies, 5-1, in Game 1 on Friday night at Maverik Center. Utah scored on its first shot of the game and five different Grizzlies hit the back of the net. The Rush now trail the best-of-seven series, 1-0, the first time in this postseason they have trailed a series.

NELSON ON A ROLL: Logan Nelson leads the Rush with five goals in the postseason and has scored all five of those goals in the past four games. Nelson is tied for third on the team with seven point on five goals and two assists. He led the Rush in the regular season with 60 points via 22 goals and 38 assists in 56 games. His five postseason goals are tied for the sixth-most in the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

TOUGH PLACE TO PLAY: After falling, 5-1, in Game 1, the Rush are now 2-4-0-0 combined between the regular season and postseason in games played at Maverik Center. Utah has been strong on home ice all year; it went 23-13-0-0 at home in the regular season and is 3-2 so far at home during the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

THE SEASON SERIES: Rapid City went 6-4-1-1 against Utah during the regular season. Gabe Chabot and Max Coatta finished the regular season series tied for the team lead with 13 points against Utah and Trey Bradley stung the Rush for 14 points in nine games. Lukas Parik started seven games and went 3-2-1-1 with a 2.68 GAA and .920 save percentage.

D’ASTOUS IS DANGEROUS: Utah defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous scored on Friday night, pushing his league-leading playoff goal total to 10. D’Astous is also second in the Kelly Cup Playoffs with 14 points, trailing only his teammate Benjamin Tardif, who has 15. D’Astous was named the ECHL’s Defenseman of the Year, and during the regular season he registered 26 goals and 31 assists over 52 games played. He is on an AHL contract with the Colorado Eagles, where he played six games this season and had one assist.

POWER OUTAGE: Rapid City went 0-for-7 on the power play in the Game 1 loss on Friday and is now 4-for-34 on the power play in the postseason. Its 11.8% success rate is 12th of the 16 teams that qualified for the postseason and the lowest of any team that advanced to the second round.

ODDS AND ENDS: Of the three games played in the Kelly Cup Playoffs on Friday, the higher seed won in each of them...the Rush were outshot, 36-34, on Friday night, the first time this postseason they have been outshot...Utah’s Benjamin Tardif had two assists on Friday night and leads the Kelly Cup Playoffs with 13. He has four more assists than any other player in the postseason.

UP NEXT: The series will move back to Rapid City for the next three games, and Game 3 is on Monday night. Puck drop at The Monument Ice Arena is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.