ECHL Series Preview: Rapid City Rush vs. Utah Grizzlies | 02/21-02/23/2025

The Rapid City Rush are hitting the road this weekend to take on the Utah Grizzlies in West Valley City, Utah in a three game series.

Three Game Series

Friday, February 21st, 2025

• Event: Grizz Fight Cancer Night
• Location: Maverik Center
• Puck Drop: 7:10 PM MST

Saturday, February 22nd, 2025

• Event: Grizz Fight Cancer Night
• Location: Maverik Center
• Puck Drop: 7:10 PM MST

Sunday, February 23rd, 2025

• Event: Sensory Friendly Day
• Location: Maverik Center
• Puck Drop: 3:10 PM MST

Last Week

Last week, the Rapid City Rush were at home, where they took on the Maine Mariners. The Rush swept the Mariners, extending their winning streak to six games. Rapid City beat the Mariners 5-4, 4-0, and 6-4.

In their last series, the Grizzlies faced off against the Idaho Steelheads at home. The Grizzlies lost the first game 3-2, won the second game 6-5 in overtime, and lost the final game 5-4 in overtime.

Incoming Stats

The Rush and Grizzlies have met four times this season, with Utah controlling the series with a record of 3-1-0-0. Rapid City is currently sixth in the Mountain Division, while Utah sits three points back in seventh.

The Rapid City Rush enter this series with a home record of 11-9-1-3 and an overall record of 18-22-5-3. Rapid City is currently on a seven-game point streak, having gone 7-2-1-0 in their last ten games. They are converting at 17.1% on the power play (24th) and 78.1% on the penalty kill (24th). The Rush are averaging 32.04 shots per game but are also allowing an average of 33.21 shots against per game. They are averaging 2.88 goals per game while allowing an average of 3.60 goals against per game.

The Utah Grizzlies come into the series with a road record of 7-14-1-1 and an overall record of 17-25-5-2. They are 4-3-2-1 in their last ten games. The Grizzlies are converting at 21.2% on the power play (7th) and have a penalty kill rate of 71.1%, currently sitting last in the league. They are averaging 3.18 goals per game while allowing an average of 4.12 goals against per game. The Grizzlies are averaging 31.29 shots per game and allowing an average of 34.69 shots against per game.

Milestone Watch

Rapid City Rush defenseman Charles Martin is likely to hit 100 professional, ECHL, and Rush games this weekend, as he currently sits at 98 professional games and 97 ECHL and Rush games. In 97 ECHL games, Martin has seven goals and 45 assists for 52 points, with 68 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of -4. This season with the Rush, Martin has played in 36 games, scoring three goals and 16 assists for 19 points. He has 36 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of -13.

Players to Watch

The players to watch for the Grizzlies are forward Keaton Mastrodonato and defenseman Derek Daschke. Against Idaho, Daschke had two goals and four assists for six points, while Mastrodonato had two goals and five assists for seven points. Daschke has played in 42 games for the Grizzlies, recording 11 goals and 31 assists for 42 points, with 20 penalty minutes and a +8 rating. He leads the Grizzlies in points and assists and is fifth on the team in goals. Mastrodonato has played in 30 games with the Grizzlies, scoring ten goals and 24 assists for 34 points, with 14 penalty minutes and a -12 rating. He is sixth on the team in goals, second in assists, and fourth in points.

The players to watch for the Rush are the Mylymok brothers. Against the Mariners, Connor and Luke both had one goal and two assists. In 23 games with the Rush, Luke has eight goals and six assists for 14 points, with 13 penalty minutes and a +7 rating. Connor has played in 33 games, scoring eight goals and nine assists for 17 points, with 57 penalty minutes and a +3 rating. The Mylymok brothers may also stir things up over the weekend and add a couple of fights to help the team gain some momentum and energy.

The Rush and Grizzlies will start their series on Friday, February 21st, and continue on Saturday, February 22nd. The series will wrap up on Sunday, February 23rd. Puck drop will be at 7:10 pm MT on Friday and Saturday, and 3:10 pm MT on Sunday.