GAME NOTES: 2/17 vs Toledo

Game #48 vs Toledo

2/17/23 | The Monument Ice Arena | 7:05 p.m.

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LAST TIME OUT: Logan Nelson scored on the first shot of the game but the Rush managed nothing further as they were beaten by the Toledo Walleye 5-1 on Wednesday morning at The Monument Ice Arena.

HOME COOKIN’: Rapid City is three games into a stretch of five consecutive games on home ice. The Rush are 2-1-0-0 during that stretch so far and have won four of their last six games at home. This season, Rapid City is 14-8-0-0 at home as opposed to 8-16-1-0 on the road.

THEY’RE NEW IN TOWN: Toledo arrives in Rapid City for the first time in franchise history. Rapid City is 1-3-1-0 all-time against the Walleye and prior to Wednesday, all of the games had been played in Toledo. The Rush traveled to Toledo in January of 2019 for two games and in January of 2017 for two games. This season, the Rush will play 66 of their 72 games against division opponents. The Walleye are the only out-of-division opponent that will visit the Black Hills.

PENALTY KILL STILL STRUGGLING: The Rush went 2-for-4 on the penalty kill in Wednesday’s 5-1 loss and have now allowed power play goals in nine consecutive games. Rapid City is 29-for-42 on the penalty kill over those nine games, a success rate of 69%. For the season, the Rush have killed 74.2% of their penalties, the 27th-best penalty kill in the 28-team ECHL.

200 FOR HELGESEN: Rush captain Kenton Helgesen will hit 200 games in his ECHL career on Friday night. The defenseman played his first ECHL game in 2015 with the Utah Grizzlies and over his 199, he has recorded 18 goals and 57 assists. It will be his 88th game with the Rush, where he has seven goals, 29 assists and a +5 plus/minus.

MILESTONES APPROACHING: Calder Brooks has tied his ECHL career-high of 19 goals...Matt Marcinew is two goals away from matching his ECHL career-high of 23 and has tied his career-high with 48 points...Logan Nelson is four points away from 300 for his ECHL career...Max Coatta is four points away from 100 for his ECHL career.

ODDS AND ENDS: Toledo has points in 13 of its last 14 games and in 11 straight road games. The Walleye are 17-6-2-1 on the road this season...in three games since joining the Rush, Jimmy Soper has two goals, one assists and a fighting major.

UP NEXT: Rapid City will finish its week at home against Toledo on Saturday night. It’s Rush Fights Cancer Night and the team will be wearing specialty jerseys that will be auctioned off postgame with a portion of proceeds going to the Monument Health Foundation. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at The Monument Ice Arena.