GAME NOTES: 11/9 vs Idaho

GAME #8 vs Idaho

11/9/22 | The Monument Ice Arena | 7:05 P.M.

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LAST TIME OUT:  Neither team scored until the final minute of the second period when Idaho’s Willie Knerim lit the lamp and the Rush were eventually beaten by the Steelheads, 5-0, Saturday night at Idaho Central Arena.

DEJA VU The Rush and Steelheads are three games into a stretch of six in a row against one another. Rapid City and Idaho met three times last week in Boise, with the Steelheads taking all three games. The Rush will now host the Steelheads for three games this week on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night. Rapid City and Idaho will meet a total of 14 times this season, six times in Boise and eight in Rapid City.

RHINEHART TO IR: The Rush placed defenseman Rhett Rhinehart on injured reserve on Wednesday morning. In six games this season, Rhinehart has recorded one assist, two penalty minutes and a –2 plus/minus rating. The 20-year-old rookie is on an AHL contract with the Calgary Wranglers.

ALSO ON THE ROSTER: Rapid City activated goaltender Brad Arvanitis from injured reserve and activated forward Zach Court from reserve on Tuesday. Center Rory Kerins and defenseman Simon Lavigne were both called up to the AHL Calgary Wranglers on Sunday and Kerins netted his first AHL goal in Calgary’s 4-0 win on Tuesday.

HIS OLD SQUAD: Rapid City head coach Scott Burt spent seven of his 13 professional seasons playing for the Steelheads and won two Kelly Cups in Idaho. Over 403 games as a Steelhead, he registered 111 goals and 139 assists along with 730 penalty minutes. His number 12 jersey hangs in the rafters at Idaho Central Arena and, prior to being hired by the Rush, he spent the 2019-20 season as Idaho’s assistant coach.

POWER OUTAGE: The Rush went 0-for-2 on the power play on Saturday night and are now 0-for-15 on the power play in their last four games. For the season, Rapid City is 3-for-26 on the power play. Its 11.5% conversion rate is 26th  in the ECHL. On the flip side, Idaho’s penalty kill sits at 96.4%, tied for the league’s best.

ODDS AND ENDS: The Rush were shut out for the second time in four games on Saturday...Idaho goaltender Jake Kupsky was named the Warrior Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week on Tuesday. Kupsky started every game for Idaho last week and went 3-0-0-0 with a 1.00 GAA and .963 SV%.

UP NEXT: Rapid City and Idaho will take Thursday off before meeting for the fifth time over the past two weeks on Friday night. Puck drop at The Monument Ice Arena is scheduled for 7:05 p.m