IDAHO STEELHEADS (10-7-1) @ KANSAS CITY MAVERICKS (7-9-1)

SATURDAY, DEC. 4, 2021 | 6:05 P.M. MTCABLE DAHMER ARENA | INDEPENDENCE, MORADIO: 95.3FM & 1350AM KTIK | STREAM: FLOHOCKEYCLICK HERE FOR GAME NOTES

Tonight’s Game: The Steelheads finish their two-game weekend against the Kansas City Mavericks from Cable Dahmer Arena.

Head-To-Head: For their second-straight trip, the Steelheads have fallen in a shootout to the Mavericks but earn a point to kick off the seven-game season schedule. The Steelheads have three games remaining in Independence with three more at home in the most games against the Mavericks in a season series. In their last season set, the Steelheads dominated with a 4-0-1 record in five games and won every game in Boise. The Steelheads have won 12 of 18 games head-to-head, boasting a 12-4-2 record as well as 3-3-2 on the road.

Last Night: The Steelheads earned a point in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Mavericks on Friday night from Cable Dahmer Arena. The Mavericks struck early in the contest for an early advantage before back-to-back power plays brought the Steelheads back into the contest. Captain A.J. White (PP, 11:10 1st) directed a back door tip in front of the netminder inside the right post to tie the game, 1-1. Contact on the goal forced another Steelhead power play, and forward Luc Brown (PP, 12:37 1st) punched home a rebound off the left post for his second point and a 2-1 lead. The Mavericks tacked on one more goal near the end of the first period to tie the game, 2-2. Scoring would halt for the rest of the game and force not only overtime but also a shootout. Forward Colton Kehler scored in the third round to keep play alive, but back-to-back goals led the Mavericks to the win.

25 Cent Crew: The Steelheads reached the first quarter pole in last night’s game, marking the end of the opening stretch of the 2021-22 season. The Steelheads completed their first stint sharing the top spot in the Mountain Division thanks, in part, to wins in six of nine home games and points in five of nine road games. The team has yet to fall below third in the division standings and owns the second-best defense in the league by virtue of goals against per game. Like their first quarter, the Steelheads will play nine games at home and on the road ending on January 22.

Power Generators: The Steelheads power play until started off the new month by picking up where they left off in consistency while hitting a rarely-touched mark on the year. Thanks to their 2-for-3 effort, the Steelheads earned only their second multi-power play goal game of the season, doing so for the first time since Opening Night on October 22 against Utah (4-for-11). It’s also the fifth-straight game with a power play goal, going 6-for-22 (27.3%) in that span and extends a strong effort to start the year with goals in 13 of 18 games on the power play. The Steelheads have scored in five of their last six games on the road.

White Lightning: Steelheads forward A.J. White helped kick off the scoring in last night’s game, posting a power play goal and power play assist in the first period. His multi-point game was his fourth on the season, and the points extended his point streak to four games with five points (3 goals, 2 assists), matching a season-best streak. After a stretch with just one point in seven games, the Dearborn, Mich. native has points in eight of his last nine games, and his consistency has him atop the team in all major scoring categories (8-8–16) and sharing the team lead in power play goals (3) and power play points (6). White is on-pace to reach 60 points for the first time in his career.

Color Wheel: Steelheads forward Luc Brown also earned a pair of points in Friday’s loss, sharing the same fortunes on the power play as A.J. White in the opening period. That was the third multi-point game and his first since October 29 when he also earned one goal and one assist in a losing effort. The Nampanee, Ont. native has seen his scoring a bit more sporadic but does have points in four of his last seven games since November 17, and his assist helped him move into a share of the team lead in assists (8) while his power play goal tied him with White atop the team in power play goals (3) and power play points (6). 

Out Of The Darkness: The Kansas City Mavericks broke a five-game losing skid in last night’s result in a place that the team has found better success this season. Despite losses in back-to-back games heading into the evening, the Mavericks have won four of their last six games at Cable Dahmer Arena despite only scoring three goals in three of those four wins. However, it was the first win at home since November 9 against Wichita and just the fourth overall in that time in 11 games. The Mavericks play just three more games at home before the holiday break and four before the end of the calendar year.

2021-22 MOUNTAIN DIVISION STANDINGS:

Next Game: The Steelheads return to Idaho Central Arena to open a six-game homestand on Wednesday, Dec. 8 at 7:10 p.m. against the South Carolina Stingrays. Tickets are available by going to idahosteelheads.com or calling 331-TIXS. Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on KTIK "The Ticket" (95.3FM/1350AM) as well as 7:00 p.m. on Sparklight Ch. 72 & FloHockey.