(KALAMAZOO, Mich.)—The Rapid City Rush, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, search for their first victory over the Kalamazoo Wings after falling one goal short in the series-opener. Puck drop is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. MDT on Saturday at Wings Event Center.

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LAST TIME OUT
Jake Ratzlaff and Seth Fyten scored in the third period, but the Rapid City Rush came up one goal short in a 3-2 loss to the Kalamazoo Wings at Wings Event Center on Friday. The two evenly matched teams played a tight, back-and-forth game for 60 minutes. Only one goal, belonging to Kalamazoo, was scored in the first two periods. The teams traded punches in the third. After the K-Wings struck one minute in, Ratzlaff clapped in a one-timer for his third goal of the season, cutting the lead to 2-1. Kalamazoo struck again, only for Fyten to respond on a turnaround shot at the net-front with 8:15 remaining. Rapid City controlled the game down the stretch. The Rush only allowed one shot in the last ten-and-a-half minutes but could not break through for the late tying goal on the road.

SECONDARY SCORING
Nobody on either team’s top forward line recorded a point last night, as the ‘secondary scoring’ came through. Defensemen combined for five points. For Rapid City, Ratzlaff scored just his third goal of the season, and Fyten his fourth. The Rush’s fourth line was on the ice for both of their goals.

250 FOR BOBBY
Last night was a milestone for Bobby Russell: the defenseman’s 250^th career ECHL regular season game, between Greenville, Toledo, and Rapid City. Russell picked up an assist in the third period, his 80^th ECHL point.

PAULSY GOES UP
Chase Pauls was called up to the Calgary Wranglers on Friday morning. He flew out of Detroit in the evening and is joining the team in Bakersfield ahead of a three-game road trip in California. It is the second-year pro’s first AHL opportunity of the season and second in total—Pauls played two games on loan with the Henderson Silver Knights in February of 2025.

HE DID THE THING
Seth Fyten has one of the most on-brand hockey names out there. Of course, his nickname is Fyter—pronounced ‘fighter’—and the hard-nosed forward dropped the gloves for the first time as a pro last night when he fought Powell Connor in the second period. Even up against a more experienced player, Fyten held his own in the scrap.

DISCIPLINE, DISCIPLINE, DISCIPLINE
Kalamazoo owns the 7^th-best power play in the league entering the series, at 21.1%. That unit never took the ice as the Rush played a penalty-free game on Friday, with the exception of Seth Fyten’s fighting major. It is only the second time this season that Rapid City’s penalty kill did not take the ice in a game.

STEADY AS CAN BE, 23
Eric Parker made his Rush debut last night after being acquired from Wheeling last Thursday. The right-shot defenseman played a calm, consistent, game in his first ice time since February 13^th. The Calgary native was teammates in junior hockey with Quinn Olson in Alberta and college hockey with Seth Fyten at Bowling Green.

IT’S HOW THEY WIN
Friday’s game was a quintessential Kalamazoo Wings win: a one-goal game with the third period as the highest-scoring period. Kalamazoo is 20-6-6 in one-goal games, and those 20 wins are tied for the most in the ECHL.

STAYING PUT
The Rush were unable to gain any ground in the Mountain Division playoff race, but with Tahoe losing in Toledo, the deficit remains 10 points behind the fourth-place Knight Monsters with 13 games remaining and five head-to-head matchups still to be played.

EVERYBODY’S OUT EAST
Of the 14 games across the ECHL today, only two are not in the eastern time zone. Four Mountain Division teams—Rapid City, Tahoe, Utah, and Allen—are playing out-of-division matchups out east. Those four teams combined for an 0-4 record last night.

The Rapid City Rush return home to face the Tulsa Oilers on April 1^st, 3^rd, and 4^th at The Monument Ice Arena! We’re rolling out the C of Red on Saturday, April 4^th for Affiliation Night, presented by KT Connections. Head to www.rapidcityrush.com or call 605-716-7825 to secure your seats today.