GAME NOTES: 12/23 at Wichita

GAME #28 at Wichita

12/23/22 | INTRUST Bank Arena | 7:05 p.m. CT

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LAST TIME OUT: Alex Aleardi scored in the third period to put the Rush on the board but Rapid City was beaten by the Wichita Thunder 5-1 on Thursday night at INTRUST Bank Arena. The Rush lost for the sixth consecutive game.

WE’RE IN KANSAS NOW: Friday is the third of three games in Wichita this week for the Rush and the third of seven scheduled games in Wichita this season. The Rush played six games in Wichita last season and went 4-1-0-1. The Thunder are 10-3-1-0 on home ice this season as opposed to 5-6-1-0 on the road. Rapid City’s road record sits at 6-10-0-0.

CENTURY FOR IVERSON: Thursday’s game was the 100th career ECHL game for Rush forward/defenseman Keegan Iverson. Iverson first appeared in the ECHL in the 2017-18 season, before returning to school and attending Mount Royal University in Calgary. 55 of his 100 games in the ECHL have come with the Rush. He has also played 13 career games in the AHL.

SPECIAL TEAMS STRUGGLING: The Rush went 0-for-6 on the power play on Thursday night and are now 1-for-28 with a man advantage in their past seven games. Rapid City has also allowed a power play goal in its last four games and is 11-for-16 on the penalty kill in those four games.

WORTH THE WAIT: Ilya Nikolaev assisted on Alex Aleardi’s goal in the third period on Thursday and now points in five consecutive games. It’s the fourth point streak of at least five games for a Rush skater. The rookie center did not record a point in his first eight games of the season but, since then, has seven goals and 12 assists in 15 games. Since going scoreless in those first eight games, Nikolaev has not gone more than a game without finding the score sheet.

SEESAW: The Rush have now lost six consecutive games, a streak that comes immediately following a season-best six-game winning streak. Six games is the longest losing streak of the season for Rapid City.

ODDS AND ENDS: In five games against the Rush Wichita defenseman Cole MacDonald has two goals and seven assists. In 17 games against the rest of the league, he has a goal and seven assists...during their six-game losing streak, the Rush are averaging 1.3 goals per game...Rapid City has outshot Wichita in four of their five matchups this season...the Rush are below .500 for the first time since they were 7-8-0-0 on November 25.

UP NEXT: The Rush will return home for the first of six consecutive games on home ice on Wednesday night against the Tulsa Oilers. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at The Monument Ice Arena.