PREVIEW: IDAHO STEELHEADS (24-14-6) @ KANSAS CITY MAVERICKS (17-21-3)

SATURDAY, JAN. 25, 2020 | 6:05 P.M. MTSILVERSTEIN EYE CENTERS ARENAINDEPENDENCE, MORADIO: 1350 KTIK-AM | STREAM: ECHL TV

Tonight’s Game: The Steelheads close the road portion of their season series with the Kansas City Mavericks from Silverstein Eye Centers Arena.

Head-To-Head: With their win last night, the Steelheads claimed the season series outright with two games remaining, taking all three meetings so far this year. The Steelheads have never won two road games against the Mavericks in their previous two trips and now have a chance to also reach that feat. The Steelheads have won 11 of their 15 games against the Mavericks, earning a 11-4-0 record while sitting 3-3-0 on the road.

Last Night: The Steelheads met the Mavericks with an early offensive flurry in a 4-3 shootout win on Friday night from Silverstein Eye Centers Arena. Steelheads captain A.J. White (2:46 1st) scored on a turnover to open a five-goal combined first period answered by Mavericks forward David Dziurzynski (7:26 1st) on the home side’s first shot of the game for a 1-1 score. The Steelheads netted another goal on a turnover thanks to forward Colby McAuley (10:25 1st) to take back the lead, 2-1. The Mavericks scored twice to end the frame on tallies from forwards Tad Kozun (12:54 1st) and Bryan Lemos (13:25 1st) to snag a 3-2 lead. Steelheads defenseman Nolan Gluchowski (9:40 3rd) netted the only non-opening frame goal to force overtime, 3-3. In the shootout, White (1st) scored the only goal for the 4-3 win. Tomas Sholl (18-6-5) stopped 26 of 29 shots in the win, while Tyler Parsons (8-5-1) halted 39 of 42 shots in the shootout loss.

Road, Sweet Road: The Steelheads extended their point streak to five-straight games in last night’s win, boasting a 4-0-1 record with back-to-back post-regulation results. In that time, the Steelheads have scored three goals or more in all four wins since January 5, and they own a 8-2-1 record over their last 11 road games since December 18. This is part of a stretch with 13 of 18 games on the road in that same span, and the Steelheads are 10-5-1 with two games remaining this weekend. Last night’s win also broke a four-game stretch with two goals or less since their six-game road trip to start the calendar year.

Bonus Hockey: For the first time this year, the Steelheads finished in back-to-back shootout results and played in consecutive post-regulation games for the third time. In fact, the Steelheads have played three of their last four games in at least overtime and won their first shootout result since December 27 against Allen (1-0 W). The Steelheads have played in 15 games resulting in overtime or a shootout, only trailing Allen (18) for the most in the ECHL and making up over one-third (34.1%) of their season’s results. The Steelheads are now 2-3 in shootouts this season and 9-6 (.600) in all post-regulation games, owning the second-most wins in that category.

White Hot: Steelheads Captain A.J. White has had the magic touch when it comes to shootouts this season, scoring the only goal in last night’s win while also earning both game-winning shootout goals. The Dearborn, Mich. native is 3-for-5 (.600) in shootouts this year, amassing three of the team’s four total shootout goals while being the only player to attempt in all five situations. On the offensive side, White now has goals in back-to-back games after going scoreless in his previous six games since January 4 with his seventh multi-point game. He now has 30 points (10-20–30) this season through 44 games and moves into a share of ninth on the team’s all-time career assists list (79) with Evan Barlow (‘09-’11) in the ECHL era.

Mr. 200: Steelheads forward Kyle Schempp reached the 200-game mark for his professional career in last night’s game, becoming the seventh player on this year’s team to reach that mark. The Saginaw, Mich. native has been a valued physical center that specializes in net-front battles and faceoffs, and in 114 games over two years with the Steelheads has amassed 54 points (21-33–54) with six power play goals and two shorthanded goals. 158 of his 200 career games have come in the ECHL with the other 42 in the AHL with Bridgeport. Over his career, he owns 87 points (33-53–87) through four full seasons.

Magic Mitch: Mavericks forward Mitch Hults returned to the lineup on Friday following his second stint with the Stockton Heat, bringing offensive firepower back into the lineup. The Madison, Wisc. product has points in 15 of 19 games this season and just broke a five-game point streak stretching through his two AHL stints. In 19 games this year, he owns 24 points (9-15–24) while sitting just two points away from his career-high point total set last year (26) through 40 games. He’s already eclipsed his goal total from last season (six) and sits second on the Mavericks in scoring.

MOUNTAIN DIVISION STANDINGS:

Next Game: The Steelheads finish their three-game weekend on Sunday, Jan. 26 at 3:05 p.m. against the Tulsa Oilers from the BOK Center. Coverage begins at 2:45 p.m. on 1350 KTIK-AM "The Ticket" and ECHL.tv.