GAME NOTES: Opening Night vs Kansas City

GAME #3 vs Kansas City

10/28/22 | The Monument Ice Arena | 7:05 P.M.

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LAST TIME OUT: Matt Marcinew and Rory Kerins each scored for the second straight game and Daniil Chechelev made 28 saves on 31 shots but the Rush were beaten by the Utah Grizzlies, 3-2, Saturday night at Maverik Center.

HOME SWEET HOME: The Rush open the home portion of their schedule on Friday night, the first of 36 regular season games in The Monument Ice Arena. Rapid City went 18-11-4-3 on home ice during the 2021-22 season and won three of its five home games during the 2022 Kelly Cup Playoffs.

HOT START: Matt Marcinew scored for the second straight game on Saturday night and leads the Rush with four points on two goals and two assists. Marcinew, who is on an AHL contract with the Calgary Wranglers, has played 186 ECHL games during his career and scored 61 goals along with 84 assists.

FOR HIM TOO: Rookie center Rory Kerins has scored in both games in Utah and had a goal and an assist in Rapid City’s 3-2 loss at Utah on Saturday. Kerins, who was selected by the Calgary Flames in the sixth round of the 2020 NHL Entry draft, is in the first season of an NHL entry level contract with the Flames. In his final season of junior hockey, Kerins put up 43 goals and 75 assists over 67 games for the Soo Greyhounds and finished second in the OHL with 118 points.

THE PK GOT A WORKOUT: The Rush went 8-for-10 on the penalty kill during Saturday’s 3-2 loss at Utah. Rapid City was never shorthanded 10 times in the 2021-22 season; the most times shorthanded last season was seven on three separate occasions. The Rush finished 2021-22 tied for the best penalty kill in the league at 85.1%.

BETWEEN THE PIPES: Rapid City and Kansas City each have goaltenders on the roster who played for the other side during the 2021-22 season, Daniil Chechelev and Dillon Kelley. In 30 games for the Mavericks, Chechelev went 12-12-4-1 with a 3.64 GAA and .894 SV%. For Rapid City, Kelley went 9-2-0-0 with a 2.98 GAA and .910 SV%.

ODDS AND ENDS: Logan Nelson led the Rush with 13 points on four goals and nine assists during the season series with Kansas City last season...Rapid City went 6-4-0-0 against the Mavericks in 2021-22 including a 4-2-0-0 mark at home...the Rush have won their home opener in each of the last three seasons...Rapid City averaged 3,361 fans per game in the 2021-22 season...the Rush will wear warmup jerseys inspired by the jersey design of their new NHL affiliate, the Calgary Flames, during the 2022-23 season.

UP NEXT: The Rush and Mavericks meet again on Saturday night. Prior to the game, Rapid City will retire the jersey of long-time defenseman and current Kansas City assistant coach, Riley Weselowski. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at The Monument Ice Arena.