GAME NOTES: 4/14 vs Idaho

Game #71 vs Idaho

4/14/23 | The Monument Ice Arena | 7:05 p.m. 

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LAST TIME OUT: Rory Kerins and Zach Court both scored, Adam Carlson had 28 saves on 29 shots and the Rush beat the Idaho Steelheads 2-1 on Wednesday night at The Monument Ice Arena.

THE PLAYOFF PICTURE: With two games remaining in the regular season, the Rush are in a three-way tie for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Mountain Division. Rapid City, Utah and Wichita each have 70 points and are all two points back of third-place Kansas City. The primary tiebreaker is regulation wins. Utah has 28, Rapid City has 26 and Wichita has 23, while Kansas City has 27. Based on tiebreaker rules, the Rush are in effect in fifth place. Both of Rapid City’s remaining games are against Idaho, Wichita has two with Allen, Utah faces Tulsa twice and Kansas City takes on Cincinnati two times.

ON A STREAK: Rapid City’s win on Wednesday extended its point streak to six games, matching a season-high. The Rush have two other six-game point streaks this season, both of which consisted of six consecutive wins. Rapid City has gone 3-0-3-0 during its active streak.

CREAM OF THE CROP: Idaho enters play on Friday having clinched both the Mountain Division and the Brabham Cup, given annually to the team with the best record in the ECHL. The Steelheads have matched an ECHL record with 56 wins and are one point shy of the all-time mark for points in a single season which is 116. Both of those records were set by the 2001-02 Louisiana IceGators, who went 56-12-4.

BUT THEY’RE GETTABLE: The Rush and Steelheads have played six times in Rapid City this season and the Rush own a 4-2-0-0 record in those six games. They are responsible for three of Idaho’s 11 regulation losses and one of its two shootout losses.

STEADY IN NET: Adam Carlson made 28 saves on 29 shots on Wednesday night, continuing his strong recent play. In his last three starts, he is 2-0-1-0, with a 2.66 GAA and a .922 save percentage and since March began he is 7-3-1-0 with a 2.75 GAA and a .913 save percentage.

ODDS AND ENDS: Zach Court scored in the first period on Wednesday during his 100th professional game. All of Court’s pro action has come with Rapid City...the Rush are now 16-7-4-0 in one-goal games...Rapid City cannot clinch a spot in the Kelly Cup Playoffs on Friday. The Rush can be eliminated with a regulation loss combined with a win by Utah and win or overtime or shootout loss from Kansas City.

UP NEXT: The Rush and Steelheads play the final game of their regular season on Saturday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at The Monument Ice Arena.