PREVIEW: IDAHO STEELHEADS (7-2-3) @ RAPID CITY RUSH (7-3-2)

SATURDAY, NOV. 9, 2019 | 7:05 P.M. MTRUSHMORE PLAZA CIVIC CENTER | RAPID CITY, SDRADIO: 1350-AM KTIK | STREAM: ECHL TV

Tonight’s Game: The Steelheads finish their three-game weekend against the Rapid City Rush from Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

Head-To-Head: The Steelheads earned a point in last night’s loss but have fallen in their first two meetings with the Rush with one more game on the weekend. The Steelheads have four games remaining from Rushmore Plaza Civic Center this season but will play 13 games during their regular season series. The Steelheads have points in 19 of their last 23 meetings since March 2018 and are 38-14-5 all-time against the Rush while going 22-9-1 on the road.

Last Night: The Steelheads saw late penalties erase their lead in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Rush on Friday night from Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. Steelheads forward Anthony Nellis (2:10 2nd) started the scoring after a silent first period for their first lead of the weekend, 1-0. Then, late in the frame, Steelheads defenseman Eric Sweetman (PP, 19:07 2nd) added to the lead, 2-0, with a shot from the slot before the Rush came back. Rush defenseman Trey Phillips (PP, 12:25 3rd) and forward Giovanni Fiore (PP, 17:59 3rd) both tallied on late penalties to send the game to overtime, 2-2. In the shootout, Tyler Coulter (7th Round) scored the lone goal in the final round to take the 3-2 result. Tyler Parks (4-1-2) stopped 34 of 36 shots in the win with all seven saves in the shootout. Tomas Sholl (5-1-3) saved 28 of 30 shots in the loss with six of seven saves in the shootout.

Road Warriors: The Steelheads are in the midst of a long opening stretch away from CenturyLink Arena while playing in game three of their eight-game road swing. Thus far, the Steelheads have points in three of four games with a 2-1-1 record, and overall the team is 5-1-3 through nine total games away from home, trailing only South Carolina (6-1-0) for the best road record in the ECHL while sitting second for most wins. Tonight’s game will be the final in a series staying in the same city with next week showcasing three opponents (Wichita, Tulsa, Allen) in three days next weekend.

Shoot ‘Em Out: The Steelheads dropped their first appearance in a shootout this season, going seven rounds to find the winning goal for either team. The lengthy shootout result is the longest for the Steelheads since going eight rounds on Feb. 9, 2018 against the Colorado Eagles, and in that result Brady Brassart scored the only shootout goal during the eighth round on the road. The Steelheads went 2-2 last season in shootout games, dropping their first result on opening night, and their last road shootout loss was also that same date (Oct. 12, 2018) against Wichita. Two of the four shootouts last year came against the Rush, and the team went 1-1 in those with both at CenturyLink Arena.

Killing In The Name: The Steelheads penalty kill saw their second-straight game allowing multiple power play goals on Friday night as well as three in their last four games, marking the only time such a result has occurred this season. However, recently the Steelheads have been called more frequently for penalties with last night’s seven kills sitting as the most this season through 12 games. The Steelheads have seen six or more power plays against them in two of their last three games while this only occurred once during their first nine contests. The Steelheads are 15-for-21 (71.4%) over their last four games after going perfect in five of six contests leading into the last seven days.

Closing Speed: For the first time this season, the Steelheads have dropped a result after leading heading into the third period, but their strong mid- to late-game play has them in the upper portion of the ECHL. Their six occurrences of leading through two periods is tied for the most in the league, and their five wins equals South Carolina for the most in that situation so far this season. The Steelheads are one of four teams (Newfoundland, Rapid City, Tulsa) to have six leads after the second period, and they’re the only team to earn points in all six games. The Steelheads are 5-0-0-1 in that scenario and 8-0-0-1 combined when leading through the first or second period.

On Fiore: Rush forward Giovanni Fiore posted a two-point night in Friday’s comeback win for Rapid City, scoring the game-tying goal and helping to assist on the power ply earlier in the third period. This season, the Laval, Que. native has points in 10 of 12 games and three in his last four contests, putting up five points (4-1–5) in that four-game stretch and posting goals in seven of 12 overall games. With his result last night, Fiore moves into the league lead for overall scoring while sharing the lead for power play goals (4). He owns 17 points (8-9–17) through 12 games.

MOUNTAIN DIVISION STANDINGS:

Next Game: The Steelheads being a three-game, three-day weekend on Friday, Nov. 15 at 6:05 p.m. against the Wichita Thunder from INTRUST Bank Arena. Coverage begins at 5:45 p.m. on 1350 KTIK-AM "The Ticket" & ECHL.TV.