The Rapid City Rush and Utah Grizzlies will be facing off in Rapid City, South Dakota this weekend in a three game series. This will be Utah’s first time back in Rapid City since the second week of the season on October 25th and 26th. With both teams being eliminated from playoffs, this will be their final games of the season with both teams playing for pride.
Last Week
Last week, Rapid City was on the road, taking on the very hot Kansas City Mavericks for their final road series of the season. In the first game, Rapid City was unable to get anything going their way and ended up being shut out 5-0. They came out ready to play for the second game, securing a 6-3 win. However, the fun ended in game three when Rapid City was once again shut out 5-0.
The Utah Grizzlies were at home last week, where they took on the Tahoe Knight Monsters. The Grizzlies were able to pull off a 4-3 win after the Knight Monsters attempted a late comeback. However, the Grizzlies were then shut out 7-0 in the second game, their final home game of the season.
Incoming Stats
The Rush and Grizzlies have met seven times this season, with the Rush dominating, going 4-2-0-1. Rapid City is currently sixth in the Mountain Division, while the Grizzlies sit 15 points back in seventh.
The Rapid City Rush enter this series with a home record of 17-11-2-3 and an overall record of 30-30-6-3. They are converting at 19.2% on the power play (16th) and 78.5% on the penalty kill (24th). The Rush are averaging 31.94 shots per game but are also allowing an average of 34.74 shots against per game. They are averaging 3.04 goals per game while allowing an average of 3.65 goals against per game.
The Utah Grizzlies come into the series with a road record of 10-20-2-1 and an overall record of 23-38-6-2. The Grizzlies are converting at 20.2% on the power play (9th) and have a penalty kill rate of 70.9%, sitting last in the league. They are averaging 3.09 goals per game while allowing an average of 4.12 goals against per game. The Grizzlies are averaging 31.61 shots per game and are allowing an average of 34.78 shots against per game.
Players to Watch
There is not really a specific player for either team to watch, but rather the entire team on both sides. Every player is going to be looking to end their season on a high note and will be aiming to get on the board. At the same time, the goaltenders will also want to go out on a high note, so there may be a little extra fire under every player when they are on the ice this week.
The Rapid City Rush and Utah Grizzlies will start their series on Wednesday, April 9. They will then continue their series on Friday, April 11, for Rapid City’s You Sports Night before wrapping up the series on Saturday, April 12, with Rapid City’s Ready Player One Night. Puck drop will be at 7:05 p.m. MT all three nights.
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