GAME NOTES: 2/18 vs Toledo

Game #49 vs Toledo

2/18/23 | The Monument Ice Arena | 7:05 p.m.

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LAST TIME OUT: The Rush allowed five first period goals and were shut out by the Toledo Walleye 6-0 on Friday night at The Monument Ice Arena. Adam Carlson come on in relief to start the second period and made 17 saves on 18 shots. Sebastian Cossa recorded a 28-save shutout in the Toledo net and Brandon Hawkins registered a natural hat trick in the first period.

THEY’RE NEW IN TOWN: Toledo arrives in Rapid City for the first time in franchise history. Rapid City is 1-4-1-0 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.

NOT SO SPECIAL TEAMS: The Rush went 1-for-2 on the penalty kill in Friday’s 6-0 loss and have now allowed power play goals in 10 consecutive games. Rapid City is 30-for-44 on the penalty kill over those nine games, a success rate of 68.2%. For the season, the Rush have killed 74% of their penalties, currently last in the ECHL. Rapid City is also 0-for-11 on the power play in its last three games. Prior to that, it had scored at least one power play goal in five in a row.

200 FOR HELGESEN: Rush captain Kenton Helgesen played his 200th career ECHL game on Friday night. The defenseman played his first ECHL game in 2015 with the Utah Grizzlies and over his 200, he has recorded 18 goals and 57 assists. He has played 88 games with the Rush, where he has seven goals, 29 assists and a +1 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...Brooks and Brett Gravelle are each two games away from 100 in the ECHL.

ODDS AND ENDS: The Rush allowed five goals in the first period on Friday, the most they have allowed in a single period this season on Friday...Rapid City was shut out for the third time this season… six goals matched the largest margin of defeat for the Rush in a game this season...Toledo now has points in 14 of its last 15 games and in eight in a row...Brandon Hawkins had a hat trick on Friday, the third hat trick the Rush have allowed this season.

UP NEXT: Rapid City will play its next five games on the road, beginning on Friday night in Tulsa against the Oilers. Puck drop at the BOK Center is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT.