IDAHO STEELHEADS WEEKLY – WEEK 25 – 4/10/24

IDAHO STEELHEADS WEEKLY – WEEK 25 – 4/10/24

After a three-game series sweep in Boise this past week over the Rapid City Rush which saw veteran’s A.J. White and Will Merchant continue to re-write the Steelheads record books, Idaho ends the regular season this weekend at the Idaho Central Arena vs. the Utah Grizzlies. 

THIS WEEK’S GAMES
Friday, Apr. 12 vs. Utah | 7:10 p.m.
Saturday, Apr. 13 vs. Utah | 7:10 p.m. 

LAST WEEK’S GAMES
Wednesday, Apr. 3 vs. Rapid City | 5-3 WIN | Highlights Game Recap Box Score
Friday, Apr. 5 vs. Rapid City | 7-5 WIN | Highlights Game Recap Box Score
Saturday, Apr. 6 vs. Rapid City | 4-2 WIN | Highlights Game Recap Box Score

MOUNTAIN DIVISION STANDINGS

1. XYZ - Kansas City Mavericks (53-11-4-2, 112pts, .800)
2. X - Idaho Steelheads (46-20-2-2, 96pts, .686)
3. Tulsa Oilers (29-31-8-1, 67pts, .486)
4. Allen Americans (31-34-3-1, 66pts, .478)
5. Utah Grizzlies (31-35-4-0, 66pts, .471)
6. Wichita Thunder (27-33-8-1, 63pts, .457)
7. Rapid City Rush (27-38-4-0, 58pts, .420)

THE WEEK AHEAD

Idaho hits the ice for the final time this regular season with a pair of games Friday and Saturday vs. Utah at the Idaho Central Arena. You can listen to the action on 95.3 FM and 1350 AM KTIK “The Ticket” and watch on KTVB 24/7 (Channel 7.2) and  FloHockey. 

The Steelheads are locked into the second seed in the Mountain Division as the Kansas City Mavericks clinched the Brabham Cup over the weekend. Allen and Tulsa meet for a three-in-three weekend playing Friday and Saturday in Allen then Tulsa Sunday while Wichita takes on Rapid City for a three-in-three (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday) in Rapid City. 

Idaho is 8-3-1-0 vs. Utah this season including 3-1-1-0 in Boise. The two club’s last met two weeks ago in Utah with the Steelheads picking up a 3-1 win in the series opener but then dropping the next two games by scores of a 5-4 and 4-1. 

In the head-to-head season series Idaho has outscored Utah 50-37 having scored four or more goals in 8 of the 12 meetings. Idaho has been held to just one goal in five games with two of them coming against Utah, Mar. 2 (3-1 loss) and Mar. 30 (4-1 loss). 

Idaho is (10-for-32, 31.3%) on the power-play and (32-for-44, 72.7%) on the penalty kill against Utah. The Steelheads have scored a man advantage goal in seven of 12 games in the head-to-head series including seven of the last 10 games. Two weeks ago, they went 2-for-9 on the man advantage, not receiving a power-play opportunity in their 6-2 win on Mar. 27, just the second time this season they have gone without a power-play in a contest. The Grizzlies have scored a power-play goal in six of the 12 games including a 5-for-16 segment across the last three games. Utah went 3-for-9 in their 4-1 win on Mar. 30 after going 2-for-5 the previous night in a 5-4 win. Idaho collected an 8-7 win in Boise back on Mar. 1 in a game which saw Utah record four power-play goals on five opportunities.

The Steelheads are averaging 34 shots for per game against the Grizzlies this season having recorded 33 or more shots in eight of the 12 games. Idaho produced 50 shots, their third most in a game this season, back on Feb. 10 in a 6-5 overtime loss where Utah put up just 28 shots. Idaho has outshot Utah in nine of the 12 meetings keeping the Grizzlies to an average of 27.4 per contest. 

Wade Murphy who will serve his final two games of his four-game suspension handed down by the league from a cross checking penalty last Wednesday night is the Steelheads point leader in the head-to-head series with four goals and nine assists. Ty Pelton-Byce is the second leading scorer having scored four goals while adding eight assists for 12 points in just eight games. Mark Rassell paces the way with six goals in six games. 

Kyle Mayhew leads the way for the Grizzlies with four goals and 12 assists having played in all 12 games while Brandon Cutler leads the way with six goals in 12 contests. 

Bryan Thomson has made five appearances against the Grizzlies this season posting a (3-1-0) record with a 2.75 goals against average and a .901 save percentage. He recorded his first professional victory making 32 saves in a 4-1 win at the Maverik Center back on Oct. 28. Jake Kielly has pitched a (2-1-0) record in three appearances vs. Utah having won his two starts in Boise. 

Will Cranley has made six appearances against Idaho with a (2-3-0) record having been pulled in two of his last four starts vs. Idaho. He has posted a 3.48 goals against average and .879 save percentage while Dante Giannuzzi has also appeared in six games with a (2-3-0) record with a 4.28 goals against average and .879 save percentage. 

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Bryan Thomson is fourth amongst ECHL rookie goaltenders with 20 wins and tied for fifth amongst all league netminders as he has appeared in 34 games. The Moose Jaw, SK native sits with the fifth most games played by a Steelheads ECHL rookie goaltender in a single season; Jerry Kuhn (59, 2011-12, 22 wins), Frank Doyle (52, 2004-05, 32 wins), Matt Climie (42, 208-09, 27 wins), and Steve Silverthorn (40, 2005-06, 22 wins). 
• Nick Canade has four points (1G, 3A) in his last seven games after notching two assists last Friday for his third multi-point game of the season. 
• Wade Murphy leads Idaho with 66 points (25G, 41) in 52 games and leads the club with 21 multi-point games. 
• Keaton Mastrodonato has played 10 games since being reassigned by the Texas Stars on Mar. 15 and has six points (4G, 2A) during that stretch. He had two goals in the series vs. Rapid City and leads all Idaho rookies with 24 goals while adding 17 assists for 41 points in 46 games. His 24 goals are tied for seventh amongst ECHL rookies. 
• Connor Mylymok had a goal in all three games vs. Rapid City this past week to go with a pair of fighting majors. He has dropped the gloves in four of the six games he has played at the Idaho Central Arena since making his debut on Mar. 20. 
• Francesco Arcuri leads all ECHL rookies with 11 power-play goals having scored four over his last nine games, eight goals overall in his last 14 games. He has 43 points (23G, 20A) in 62 games this season. 
• Ty Pelton-Byce has a point in seven of his last eight games (2G, 6A) and collectively on the season has recorded 59 points (16G, 43A) in 55 games. He is two games shy of 100 career games as a Steelhead. 
• A.J. White moved into third place all-time in franchise history (WCHL and ECHL) with his 112^th career goal on Saturday which was also his 26^th of the season, a personal single season high. In three games this past week vs. Rapid City he tallied four points (2G, 2A) and on the season has tallied 63 points (26G, 37A) in 69 games. He is tied for second in the ECHL with 12 power-play goals. 
• Jade Miller scored a goal last Friday night in his 100^th game as a Steelhead. 
• Will Merchant moved into third place all-time in the Steelheads ECHL era with his 88^th career goal as a Steelhead last Friday night after recording an assist earlier in the night for his 200^th career point as a Steelhead in his 300^th career game for Idaho. Since re-joining the club back on Jan. 2 from Europe he has collected 28 points (9G, 19A) in 40 games and is two goals shy of 100 career ECHL goals. 
• Matt Register is second amongst ECHL defensemen with 61 points and 51 assists in 69 games. His 51 assists are fourth in the entire ECHL while his 19 power-play assists are tied for fourth amongst league defenders. He had a goal and three assists in the three-game series this past week. 
• Patrick Kudla is third amongst ECHL defensemen with 60 points and 50 assists in just 58 games. He leads Idaho defenders with 17 multi-point games this season and has five over his last nine games after tallying four assists last Friday night for the third time this season. 
• Jordan Kawaguchi has 29 points (8G, 21A) in 29 games this year after making his season debut on Feb. 2 where he has collected a point in 17 contests. He tallied a goal and four assists this past week. 
• Mark Rassell returned to the Steelheads last Friday after being on a PTO with the AHL’s Texas Stars since Feb. 18. He scored two goals and added an assist last Friday and scored a goal and notched an assist last Saturday. Dating back to Feb. 14 he has a goal/point in five straight games (7G, 2A). He has totaled 48 points (32G, 16A) in 41 games this year leading Idaho with eight multi-goal games. 

TEAM NOTES

• After the three-game series over Rapid City the Steelheads have set a franchise record with 297 goals… Last season Idaho set a franchise record with 290 in 72 games… Idaho is second in the league averaging 4.24 goals for per game having scored four or more goals in 50 of 70 games including 19 of their last 28 posting a record of 43-4-1-2.
• Idaho leads the league on the power-play overall (69-for-244, 28.3%) and on the road (34-for-114, 29.8%) while having the second-best power-play on home ice (35-for-130, 26.9%).
• The Steelheads are tied for fourth in the league scoring first 39 times posting a (33-3-1-2) record.
• Idaho has sold out in 33 of 34 games this year including 31 straight having scored four or more goals in 23 outings. They are 22-9-2-1 at the Idaho Central Arena this season including (10-2-1) in their last 13 games dating back to Jan. 31.
• Idaho is second averaging 35.91 shots for per game.
• Idaho is 22-3-1-1 when leading after the first period and 35-1-1-0 when leading after two periods.

ACTIVE STATISTICAL LEADERS
Goals: Mark Rassell (32) 
Assists: Matt Register (51) 
Points: Wade Murphy (66) 
Plus/Minus: Wade Murphy (+30) 
PIMs: Nick Canade (109) 
PPGs: A.J. White (12)
GWGs: Mark Rassell (8)   
Shots: Wade Murphy (199)
Wins: Bryan Thomson (20)