GAME #22 vs Wichita 

12/10/22 | The Monument Ice Arena | 7:05 p.m.

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LAST TIME OUT: Daniil Chechelev made 33 saves, Jon Martin and Brett Gravelle both scored and the Rush beat the Wichita Thunder 2-1 on Friday night at The Monument Ice Arena. Rapid City won for the sixth consecutive game and the ninth time in its last 10 outings.

RED HOT RAPID CITY: The Rush have now won six consecutive games, nine of their past 10, 10 of the last 12 and 11 of the past 14. The six-game winning streak is the longest of the season, and it has now surpassed the longest winning streak the Rush had in 2021-22. Last year’s Rapid City team won four straight on two separate occasions. The Rush are currently riding what is tied for the longest active winning streak in the league. The Indy Fuel have also won six games in a row.

WORKHORSE: Daniil Chechelev made 33 saves on 34 shots in what was his 16th start of the season on Friday, He has been in net for all but five of Rapid City’s games this season and leads the league in wins (12), minutes (967) and saves (505).

CLASHING WITH THE THUNDER: The Rush and Thunder will play the third of 13 scheduled games against one another on Thursday. Six of the games will occur in Rapid City and seven will take place in Wichita. During the 2021-22 season, the Rush went 5-2-1-1 in their nine games against Wichita and 1-1-1-0 at home. Thanks to wins in each of the last two games, the Rush have overtaken the Thunder for sole possession of second place in the Mountain Division.

SWITCHING SIDES: Wichita’s roster features two players who skated for the Rush in 2021-22, Jake Wahlin and Kyle Rhodes. Wahlin had 15 goals and 20 assists in 59 games with the Rush last season before being traded to Wichita in March. Rhodes was acquired by Rapid City at the end of March and had six assists in seven games in the regular season. He then added a goal over 11 postseason games. Rhodes was traded to Wichita in the offseason, completing the future considerations promised in a three-team deal that brought in Avery Peterson.

ODDS AND ENDS: Rory Kerins was in the lineup for the AHL Calgary Wranglers on Friday and chipped in with an assist in the 3-0 win over the San Diego Gulls. Ilya Nikolaev, who was also called up on Thursday, did not play...in seven games since returning from injured reserve, Brett Gravelle has two goals, four assists and a +7 plus/minus...the Rush are now 7-3-0-0 at home...Wichita is now 3-5-1-0 on the road.

UP NEXT: The Rush hit the road for Boise next week for the first of three games against the first-place Idaho Steelheads. It begins on Wednesday and puck drop is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. at Idaho Central Arena.