The Wichita Thunder are headed to Rapid City, South Dakota this week to take on the Rapid City Rush in a three-in-three series.
Last Week
Last week, Wichita played at home against the Allen Americans and won with a final score of 4-2. Rapid City was on the road, facing the South Carolina Stingrays, and ended up getting swept, losing 3-5, 1-3, and 1-8. The Rush struggled to find their offensive power against the Stingrays and will be looking to regain it this week against the Thunder.
Incoming Stats
The Rush and Thunder met in a three-game series in early November, where the Thunder won all three games, two in regulation and one in overtime.
The Rapid City Rush are entering this series on a five-game losing streak with a record of 5-12-2-2. They are currently converting at 15.7% on the power play (21st) and 82.5% on the penalty kill (15th). The Rush are averaging 31.86 shots per game but are also allowing an average of 33.00 shots against per game. They are averaging 2.24 goals per game while allowing an average of 3.57 goals against per game.
The Wichita Thunder are coming into the series with a 5-5-0-0 record in their last ten games, and an overall record of 11-10-1-0. The Thunder are converting at 18.5% on the power play (15th) and have a penalty kill rate of 83.6% (11th). They are averaging 3.09 goals per game while allowing an average of 2.77 goals against per game. The Thunder are averaging 32.45 shots per game and allowing an average of 34.27 shots against per game.
Players to Watch
The player to watch for the Wichita Thunder is forward Michal Stinil. Stinil currently leads the Thunder in points, is tied for the team lead in goals, and is second in assists with ten goals and 14 assists for 24 points. He comes into the weekend with a plus/minus of +12 and 14 penalty minutes through 21 games.
The player to watch for the Rush is defenseman Zack Hoffman. Hoffman had a goal and an assist last week in their series against the South Carolina Stingrays. He is currently third among Rush defensemen in assists and points and is second in goals. Hoffman has two goals and four assists for six points in 21 games this season.
The Rapid City Rush and Wichita Thunder will start their series on Thursday, December 12th, continue on Friday, December 13th, and wrap up with Teddy Bear Toss night on Saturday, December 14th. Puck drop is at 7:05 pm MT on Thursday and Friday, and at 4:05 pm MT on Saturday.
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