The Rapid City Rush travel to Boise, Idaho to take on the Idaho Steelheads this weekend in a three game series.
Last Week
Last week, the Rush were at home against the Kansas City Mavericks. They lost the first game by a score of 2-3, then fell in a four-round shootout in the second game. However, they finally got the monkey off their back with their first win of the season on Saturday, beating the Mavericks by a score of 5-2.
On the other side, the Steelheads traveled to Savannah, Georgia, to take on the Savannah Ghost Pirates. The Steelheads won the first game with a final score of 6-3, but lost the second game 3-4 after the Ghost Pirates scored late in the third period. The Steelheads came back on Sunday for game three and won 4-2.
Incoming Stats
The Rush and Steelheads have yet to face each other this season. However, last season, the Rush had a record of 1-12-1-0 against the Steelheads, while the Steelheads had a record of 13-1-0-0 against the Rush.
The Rapid City Rush are coming into this series having earned points in their last two games, with a record of 1-6-1-2. They are currently converting at 24.2% on the power play and are at 82.1% on the penalty kill. The Rush are still getting shots on net, averaging 32.00 shots per game, but they are also allowing an average of 33.30 shots against per game. After struggling to get a goal per game, the Rush are averaging 2.00 goals per game but are still allowing an average of 3.70 goals against per game.
The Idaho Steelheads are coming into the series on a two-game losing streak after being swept by the Fort Wayne Komets. The Steelheads are converting at 25.6% on the power play and 82.2% on the penalty kill. The Steelheads are averaging 4.00 goals per game and 28.10 shots per game. They are allowing an average of 2.90 goals against per game and 34.90 shots against per game.
The Steelheads come into this series with a home record of 3-1-0-0, while the Rush are still looking for their first road win with a record of 0-4-1-0 on the road.
Milestones
With the Rush having a young team this season, there are not many players close to hitting milestones yet. However, Rush forward Maurizio Colella could reach 100 ECHL games played this weekend against the Steelheads. Colella has currently played in 98 ECHL games, recording 13 goals and 23 assists for 36 points. He has 57 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of -30. Colella will most likely play in his 100th game on Friday or Saturday.
Players to Watch
The player to watch on the Steelheads is forward Hank Crone, who has seven goals and nine assists for 16 points in ten games, averaging almost two points per game. Crone leads the Steelheads in goals, assists, and points, as well as plus/minus with his +10.
The players to watch for the Rush are newcomer forward Patrick Bajkov and defenseman Joni Jurmo. The Rush acquired Bajkov earlier this week in a trade with the Cincinnati Cyclones. Bajkov only had one point in eight games with the Cyclones, but a change of scenery may be what he needs to find his offensive spark. Jurmo was sent down to the Rush from the Calgary Wranglers last week and played extremely well against the Mavericks. Jurmo ended the weekend with a goal and an assist and will be looking to continue his early hot streak against the Steelheads this week.
The Rush and Steelheads will start their series on Wednesday, continue on Friday, and wrap up on Saturday. Puck drop for all three games will be at 7:10 PM MT.
