GAME NOTES: December 13 - Rush at Idaho Steelheads

(BOISE, Idaho) - The Rapid City Rush, proud affiliate of the NHL's Calgary Flames, head west to face the Idaho Steelheads on Wednesday to start a three-game series. 

The Rush are 0-3 vs. the Steelheads this season, but are coming off back-to-back overtime wins over Wichita and carry a three-game winning streak to Boise. 

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GONE FISHIN’

The Rapid City Rush are riding their first three-game winning streak of the season following a 3-2 OT win over Wichita at home on Saturday night. The Rush have closed a seven-point playoff gap to only three-points heading into the six-game holiday road swing vs. Idaho and Allen. The Steelheads lead the division and swept the Rush in a three-game set at home two weeks ago. However, Rapid City held Idaho at bay through most of the Thursday game in that series and carried the lead 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2 in the Saturday game. 

HEY-LO

Logan Nelson factored in on some of the most major moments in the weekend series against Wichita. Nelson earned the OT, game-winning assist on Blake Bennetts’ tip-in goal and would tie Saturday’s Teddy Toss game with only 32 seconds remaining in the game. Nelson’s dominant performance has tied him with fellow-veteran Alex Aleardi for the lead in team assists and has given him sole possession of third on the team in goals.

HAVE AN EXTRA SCOOP OF GRAVY

Brett Gravelle is riding a three-game point streak that included Saturday’s overtime winner. Gravelle eclipsed 100 career ECHL points with his assist on Maurizio’s Colella’s goal Friday and had over 20 friends and family members in the building to see his historic weekend at The Monument. 

TEDDY TOSS TALES

The Rush collected nearly 4,200 teddy bears during Saturday’s win with James Hardie scoring on the powerplay to trigger the plush parade. All teddy bears have been dropped off as of this morning to Monument Health, the Abbott House, Rural American Initiatives, Youth and Family Services, and YMCA of Rapid City. Players and staff members as well as Nugget were involved in this outpouring of community support for the youth of the Black Hills. 

BREAKING DOWN WALLS

Rapid City broke through some rough storylines in Saturday’s 3-2 overtime win. They included:

               Winning for the first time without scoring the first goal

               Winning for the first time when trailing after the first period

               Winning for the first time when trailing after the second

               period.

               Winning for the first time at home on a Saturday.

Previously, the Rush had been 0-6-1 when trailing at the end of the first period and 0-8-0 when trailing at the end of the second period. With that bit of history off their back, Rapid City has proven their meddle. 

THE HARDIE BOY

James Hardie’s teddy-bear inducing goal marks his first as a member of the Rush. The rookie acquired from Cincinnati logged over 80 points with the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads last season and finished among the top-20 OHL scorers. Hardie also saw action on the powerplay and had previously earned an assist from his special teams work with the Rush. 

OVERTIME = OUR TIME

The Rush are tied for the fifth-best overtime win percentage amongst all ECHL teams. All three teams above them in OT win percentage are perfect in overtime, but have played three games or less in overtime this season while the Rush have played in four. Rapid City has also earned 7 standings points in overtime, the seventh-most of any ECHL team.

GREAT SCOTT

Scott Burt is now sitting on 78 career ECHL coaching victories. Burt, who won two championships with the Steelheads, has his number 12 retired at Idaho Central Arean. The third-year head coach remarked early in the season, “if you want to win a championship in this league, the road goes through [Idaho].”

POWER ON

The Rush powerplay has now scored goals in three-straight games, going 1-for-6 in each of the last three. The Rush have played in 12 games of 20 this season where the powerplay has not converted. Entering last weekend, Rapid City was last overall in home powerplay percentage but has since risen out of the cellar. On the road, the Rush have scored five powerplay goals, good for the 18^th overall powerplay percentage away from home this year. 

MAD-RAD, BRO

Matt Radomsky has earned back-to-back wins for the first time in his professional career and held a vaunted Wichita offense at bay on Thursday and Saturday. Radomsky stopped 18 on Thursday and 15 on Saturday in the win, but over one-third of those shots were on the powerplay. Radomsky was also 3-for-3 on breakaway saves in his last two performances. 

5-ON-5 DOMINANCE

Of the eight goals the Rush allowed this past week, only three of them came 5-on-5. Jason Pineo scored shorthanded while Rapid City allowed four powerplay goals to the league’s top-rated powerplay. At even strength the Rush outscored Wichita 7-3 through the week’s contest. 

LOGGING THOSE MILES

Rapid City kicks off a six-game road swing tonight in Idaho. The Rush will play each of the following Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, first against division-leading Idaho and then against an underperforming Allen team. Rapid City is one win shy of being 50 percent away from last year’s road win total with a record of 6-4-0 on the road this season. In their four road losses, two have been by a single goal and one was a two-goal loss.