GAME NOTES: 11/17 at Tulsa

GAME #11 at Tulsa

11/17/22 | BOK Center | 10:35 A.M. CT

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LAST TIME OUT:  Ilya Nikolaev scored twice, Keanu Yamamoto had three assists and Daniil Chechelev made 38 saves as the Rush beat the Idaho Steelheads in a shootout, 4-3. Saturday night at The Monument Ice Arena. Nikolaev and Alex Aleardi each scored in the shootout and Chechelev stopped three of four Idaho attempts.

FIRST OF MANY: The Rush and Oilers meet on Thursday for the first of 14 games between the two teams this season. Tulsa is tied for Rapid City’s most frequent opponent this season, even with the Idaho Steelheads, who they also play 14 times. The two teams will play six times in Rapid City and eight times in Tulsa.

BUSTIN’ LOOSE: Ilya Nikolaev scored twice in the first period on Saturday night, his first two professional goals. This came one game after he recorded his first pro point in the 4-2 loss to Idaho on Friday night. Nikolaev is on an NHL contract with the Calgary Flames and was drafted by Calgary in the third round of the 2019 NHL entry draft. He spent the 2021-22 season in the USHL with the Tri-City Storm where he recorded 23 goals and 49 assists in 58 games played

BACK FROM THE AHL: On Wednesday the Rush received reinforcements from the AHL when center Rory Kerins and defenseman Simon Lavigne were reassigned to Rapid City from the AHL Calgary Wranglers. Kerins had appeared in three games for Calgary since being called up on November 6 and recorded one goal and a +2 plus/minus rating. Lavigne did not appear in a game in his time with the Wranglers. Over seven games apiece for the Rush, Kerins has four goals and four assists and Lavigne has recorded three assists.

LAST SEASON: Rapid City and Tulsa faced off a total of 13 times during the 2021-22 season and the Rush got the better of the Oilers to the tune of a 7-6-0-0 record. In the eight games the Rush played at the BOK Center they went 4-4-0-0. Max Coatta paced Rapid City with seven goals and six assists in the season series against Tulsa. Brett Gravelle was the Rush’s second-leading point-getter with four goals and six assists.

ODDS AND ENDS: The Rush beat the Steelheads in a shootout on Saturday, giving them their first shootout victory since April 10, 2021 when they beat the Oilers in Tulsa, 5-4. Rapid City was 0-5 in shootouts in the 2021-22 season...Daniil Chechelev’s 38 saves on Saturday matched a season high. Chechelev has started eight of Rapid City’s 10 games this season...Thursday’s game is one of two morning starts for the Rush this season. Rapid City will host the Toledo Walleye with a 10:35 a.m. scheduled puck drop on February 15...Keanu Yamamoto’s three assists on Saturday were a the most assists by a Rush in a game this season. They also gave him his first-career multi-point game.

UP NEXT: The Rush and Oilers take Friday off before returning to the ice on Saturday night. Puck drop at the BOK Center is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT.