GAME NOTES: 3/19 vs Tulsa

Game #60 vs Tulsa

3/19/23 | The Monument Ice Arena | 4:05 p.m.

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LAST TIME OUT: Adam Carlson made 30 saves on 31 shots, Tyson Helgesen and Logan Nelson both had two assists and Blake Bennett scored his first professional goal as the Rush beat the Tulsa Oilers 3-1 on Saturday night at The Monument Ice Arena. Rapid City’s win was its fourth in a row.

OILERS IN TOWN: Tulsa arrives in Rapid City for the final three games of the season series between the Rush and Oilers. Rapid City is 9-3-1-0 against Tulsa this season including a 4-1-0-0 mark at home. The Oilers have lost six straight games and sit in last place in the Mountain Division with 46 points.

SAVE THE PUCK: Blake Bennett’s goal in the second period on Saturday was his first professional goal. Bennett has played five games for Rapid City since signing out of American International College and has one goal and two assists. During his senior season at AIC he recorded 22 goals and 13 assists over 38 games played.

ON A ROLL: Rapid City has now won four consecutive games, its second-longest winning streak of the season. Rapid City has outscored its opponents 15-7 during the four-game streak, the entirety of which has taken place at home.

BEATING UP ON TULSA: Alex Aleardi, Logan Nelson and Matt Marcinew each average more than point per game against the Oilers this season. Aleardi leads the way with 19 points in 13 games, Nelson has two goals and 14 assists in his 13 games in the season series and Marcinew has managed six goals and nine assists in 11 games.

THE REST OF THE WAY: Rapid City has 13 games remaining on its schedule and currently sits four points out of a playoff spot. seven of the remaining games are at home with six on the road. Entering play on Saturday, second place and sixth place in the Mountain Division are separated by just five points. Rapid City has three games against the Central Division’s Fort Wayne Komets next week and then finishes with three games against Allen, two against Wichita, one against Kansas City and three with the division-leading Idaho Steelheads.

ODDS AND ENDS: The Rush went 6-for-6 on the penalty kill on Saturday and are now 10-for-10 on the PK in their last three games. During that time, Rapid City’s penalty kill percentage has risen from 73.7% to 74.8%...in two games since returning from injured reserve, Jon Martin has a goal, an assist, 14 shots on goal and a +3 plus/minus rating...in six appearances against Tulsa, Daniil Chechelev is 4-0-1-0 with a 2.87 goals against average and .919 save percentage.

UP NEXT: The Rush will hit the road for three games next week in Fort Wayne against the Komets. The first game is on Friday night and puck drop is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum