Game #65 vs Allen
3/31/23 | The Monument Ice Arena | 7:05 p.m.
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LAST TIME OUT: Alex Aleardi scored for the eighth time in his last seven games and Adam Carlson made 21 saves on 23 shots but the Rush were beaten by the Allen Americans 4-1 on Thursday night at The Monument Ice Arena.
THE PLAYOFF PICTURE: Rapid City has eight games remaining on its schedule and currently sits three points out of a playoff spot. Five of the remaining games are at home with three on the road. Entering play on Friday, second place and sixth place in the Mountain Division are separated by just five points. The Rush have two games remaining with Allen, three against Idaho, two with Wichita and one against Kansas City.
REINFORCEMENTS: Prior to Thursday’s game the Rush activated forwards Rory Kerins and Ilya Nikolaev off injured reserve. Kerins had missed the last 20 games and Nikolaev had been out for 18. Both are rookies on NHL contracts with the Calgary Flames. In 32 games, Kerins has 15 goals and 17 assists and Nikolaev has 10 goals and 16 assists in 33 games. Kerins recorded an assist in his return to the lineup, as did Matt Marcinew, who had missed Rapid City’s last three games. Rapid City placed winger Weiland Parrish on injured reserve on Thursday.
FACING OFF WITH ALLEN: Friday is the seventh game of the season series with the Americans and Rapid City is 3-3-0-0 against Allen thus far. The first five of those games took place in Texas and Thursday’s was the first home game of the season series for Rapid City. Last season, the Rush went 3-1-0-1 in the regular season against the Americans and beat them in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs in five games.
GOALS IN BUNCHES: Alex Aleardi scored the only goal for the Rush in the 4-1 loss to Allen on Thursday and now has eight goals in his last seven games. He has three two-goal games during that seven-game stretch. Aleardi has 26 goals on the season, giving him the second-most on the Rush. He trails only Matt Marcinew, who leads the tam with 28 goals.
ODDS AND ENDS: Allen’s Hank Crone had two assists on Thursday night, pushing his league-leading point total to 91. In six games against the Rush this season, Crone has seven goals and six assists...in their last 13 games the Rush have alternated losing four in a row, winning six in a row and now losing three in a row...Thursday’s loss snapped a five-game home winning streak for the Rush
UP NEXT: Rapid City and Allen will conclude their season series on Saturday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at The Monument Ice Arena.
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