GAME NOTES: April 6 - Rush at Idaho Steelheads

(BOISE, Idaho) - The Rapid City Rush, proud affiliate of the NHL's Calgary Flames, close their season series with the Idaho Steelheads from Idaho Central Arena at 7:10 p.m. tonight.

In order to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Rush have to scrape at least a point away from the Steelheads. 

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HAVE TO HAVE IT

The Rush need to collect every standings points remaining while Utah and Tulsa lose every point remaining to make the playoffs. The Rush have an elimination number of 0 against Tulsa, meaning the only way the Rush finish ahead of the Oilers is via a tie-breaker scenario while the Rush can not have Utah win another game in order to reach the postseason. Rapid City fought valiantly last night, but could not manage a late game-tying goal, despite a great set up with 20 seconds left. The Rush are 1-11-1 against the Steelheads this season.

30 and 30

For the second-straight season, and for the second time in Rush history, Rapid City has two 30-goal scorers. Alex Aleardi notched his 30^th of the season last night on the powerplay to join Blake Bennett as the only members of the Rush 30 goals club this year. Aleardi now has amassed 75 points overall and is just two points shy of reaching Jesse Schultz’s Rush ECHL single-season points record. While Aleardi may not have enough games to hit Ryan Menei’s overall rush mark of 89, he could become just the third Rush player in team history to log 80 points in a season. 

PENALTY SUMMARY

For just the fourth game this season, the Rush broke through for a powerplay goal against the Steelheads. Aleardi’s powerplay marker stands as just the fifth overall powerplay goal for the Rush this year. A frustrating game on Friday, the Rush were only able to draw three penalty calls against Idaho, after having been award double the amount of powerplays on Wednesday night. The Steelheads also logged a powerplay marker yesterday going 1-for-3, but logged eight powerplays on Wednesday. 

A CRUEL TWIST OF FATE

Last night marked the first time this season the Rush have scored five goals and lost. Rapid City had twice scored four and dropped games to Idaho, but five goals had previously been the “magic number” for the Rush. Dating back to a win over Greenville on February 25, the Rush had scored five goals on five occasions going a perfect 5-0 in those games. The Rush have scored three or more in 13 straight games. 

GO GO NIKO

Forward Ilya Nikolaev is averaging a point per game since his assignment back to Rapid City last weekend. Nikolaev had six points in 29 games for the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers this year and had 33 points in 40 games with the Rush last season. Nikolaev and Jake Stella are the only two European players on the Rush roster currently.

ENT-TYSE-ING

Tyson Helgesen scored his fifth goal of the season in last night’s game. An unassisted marker, Helgesen blasted an errant Idaho pass beyond an unsuspecting Bryan Thomson. Helgesen is tied for second on the team with three game-winning goals, and the team had been 4-0-0 prior to last night when Helgesen scored.

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THE BEAT-LES

The Rush have fought five times against the Steelheads this season, with only Tyson Helgesen logging multiple scraps against Idaho. That’s the second-most fights against a single-opponent this season for the Rush (Tulsa, 8). Those five fights are split between only three games (January 19, 20 and Wednesday). 

THE BIGGEST KILLS

In now back-to-back games, the Idaho powerplay has proved the difference. Going 2-for-8 on Wednesday, the Rush lost by two. Last night, the Steelheads lone powerplay goal outpaced the Rush as without the powerplay marker, Ilya Nikolaev’s goal with 43 seconds left would have tied the game. The seventh goal was an empty-netter from Mark Rassell. The lone win for the Rush against Idaho came on December 16 when the Rush did not take a penalty the entire game. 

GOOD GOAL?

Keanu Yamamoto’s 17^th goal of the season was reviewed and tnhe call reversed in yesterday’s game. Yamamoto re-directed the puck with his skate in a non-kicking motion that was correctly called after video replay. A player is not allowed to kick the puck in the net, but may angle their skate to redirect the puck for a good goal. The review marked the third time this season a previously-called no-goal was reversed to a goal for the Rush. 

THE NELSON EFFECT

Despite being sidelined on the injured reserve, Logan Nelson still leads all Rush skaters with 11 points against the Steelheads this season. Behind him by one is captain Alex Aleardi, but also scoring 10 vs. Idaho this year is Maurizio Colella. Colella has 30 points on the season, his biggest offensive output of his professional career, with one-third of all points coming against Idaho. 

THE ELIMINATION NUMBER (E#)

The Rush elimination number is now 1 point. 

RAPID CITY ELIMINATED IF…

-The Rush lose in regulation

OR

-Utah wins + Tulsa win or loses in overtime/shootout

*If the Rush lose in overtime + Utah loses in regulation + Tulsa loses in regulation, the Rush are then are the mercy of tie-breakers. Tulsa and Utah both own the tie-break (regulation wins) over the Rush right now.

ROOTING GUIDE

For the Rush to get the most out of the results tonight, here’s who Rush fans should be pulling for in tonight’s games

Who to pull for                      Against                   Help                       

THE RUSH                           Idaho                     WIN

Kansas City                          Utah                       Utah up 8*

Wichita                                  Tulsa                      Tulsa up 8

Adirondack                            Allen                      Allen up 5

*The Rush have one game-in-hand over Utah