GAME NOTES: 12/17 at Idaho

GAME #25 at Idaho

12/17/22 | Idaho Central Arena | 7:10 p.m.

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LAST TIME OUT: Ilya Nikolaev scored twice in the second period but the Rush were beaten by the Idaho Steelheads 5-2 on Friday night at Idaho Central Arena. Rapid City fell behind 3-0 in the first period and could not dig out of the hole. Daniil Chechelev made 29 saves on 31 shots in relief after entering in the first.

ROAD TRIPPIN’: Saturday’s game is the third of six in a row that the Rush will play away from home. The Rush have three scheduled games this week in Boise followed by three next week in Wichita against the Thunder. Rapid City is 6-7-0-0 away from home this season and has lost all five of the games it has played in Idaho.

REINFORCEMENTS: On Friday morning, the Calgary Flames reassigned forwards Rory Kerins and Ilya Nikolaev from the AHL Calgary Wranglers to the Rush. Kerins and Nikolaev had each been called up to the Wranglers on December 8 and Kerins appeared in two games for Calgary during that stint. Overall this season, he has a goal and an assist in five games for the Wranglers. It was Nikolaev’s first call to the AHL and he did not appear in any games. Nikolaev scored both of the Rapid City goals in the 5-2 loss on Friday, his second-career two-goal game.

CLASS OF THE LEAGUE: Idaho has now won five consecutive games, 12 of its last 13 and owns the best record in the ECHL. The Steelheads have two more points than the Newfoundland Growlers, who have played two more games. Idaho leads the league in goals per game, goals against per game and power play percentage..

GLOVES OFF: Tyson Helgesen got in a fight with Idaho’s Colton Kehler in the first period on Friday, giving him his team-leading fourth fighting major of the season. Helgesen now has one more fight than his older brother, Rush captain Kenton Helgesen, who has three.

SEESAW: The Rush have now lost three consecutive games, a streak that comes immediately following a season-best six-game winning streak.

ODDS AND ENDS: The Rush outshot the Steelheads 22-8 in the second period on Friday. 22 shots were the most Rapid City has put on goal in a single period this season...Daniil Chechelev has a .922 save percentage in seven appearances against Idaho this season...Ilya Nikolaev leads the Rush with five points on four goals and one assist in seven games against the Steelheads this year.

UP NEXT: The Rush continue their road trip in Kansas with the first of three games next week against the Wichita Thunder. It begins on Wednesday night and puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT at INTRUST Bank Arena.