GAME NOTES: 1/21 vs Idaho

GAME #39 vs Idaho

1/21/23 | The Monument Ice Arena | 7:05 p.m.

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LAST TIME OUT: The Rush fell in an early hole and were beaten by the Idaho Steelheads 7-1 on Friday night at The Monument Ice Arena. Rory Kerins scored the lone Rapid City goal and the Rush had their four-game point streak snapped. Six different Steelheads scored, led by Wade Murphy, who had two goals and an assist.

REINFORCEMENTS: On Wednesday, center Matt Marcinew was assigned to the Rush by the AHL Calgary Wranglers and center/left wing Rory Kerins was reassigned by the Calgary Flames from the Wranglers to the Rush. Marcinew and Kerins were each called up to Calgary on January 7. Kerins played one game during this stint and overall has a goal and an assist in six games for the Wranglers. Marcinew did not appear in a game. Rush defenseman and captain Kenton Helgesen was also activated off injured reserve on Friday.

KERINS CAN: Rory Kerins scored in the first period on Friday night, his 14th goal of the season. He is tied for second on the team in goals, trailing only Matt Marcinew who has 15. Kerins has scored his 14 goals in 27 games while Marcinew has played 34 and Calder Brooks who also has 14 goals has played 32. Kerins, a 20-year-old rookie on an NHL contract with the Calgary Flames, put up 43 goals and 75 assists in 67 games for the Soo Greyhounds in the OHL in 2021-22. He was second in the OHL in points, third in assists and sixth in goals.

TOP FISH: The Steelheads own the league’s best record and enter play on Saturday with six more points than any other team in the ECHL. Idaho leads the league in both goals per game and goals against per game. They have 152 goals on the season and have allowed 73; the Steelheads have scored more than twice as many goals as they have allowed.

HOME ICE ADVANTAGE: Rapid City is 11-7-0-0 at home this season. The Rush have not lost consecutive games on home ice; the six previous losses at have been followed by a win in the next home game.

ODDS AND ENDS: Friday’s 7-1 loss to Idaho represented the largest margin of defeat for the Rush in a game this season and was tied for the most goals against….in 10 games against the Rush, Idaho defenseman Patrick Kudla has a goal and 11 assists. Kudla had two assists on Friday...the Rush have not scored more than two goals in any of their losses against Idaho this season...Rapid City will play its next five games on the road. The Rush will not return home until February 10, when the Utah Grizzlies come to town.

UP NEXT: Rapid City will hit the road for three games next week in Utah against the Grizzlies. It begins on Wednesday night with puck drop scheduled for 7:10 p.m. from Maverik Center.