ECHL Idaho Steelheads

Game Day Storylines- at Rapid City

Published on March 1, 2017 under ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


Steel Reel

The Steelheads make their final visit to Rushmore Plaza Civic Center this week for a three-game series against the Rapid City Rush, wrapping up their longest road swing of the season. It's been a strong trip thus far for Idaho, winners in four of the first five games and in six of their past eight contests overall. The Rush sit last in the Mountain Division and 12 points out of the last playoff spot, but they've been causing a lot of problems for some very good teams. The Rush have won five of their last six games, a stretch that includes multiple wins over the Allen Americans and South Carolina Stingrays.

The Steelheads are coming off their largest comeback win of the season, a 5-4 victory over the Missouri Mavericks on Saturday night. After trailing 4-1 at the end of the first period, the Steelheads stormed back with three goals in the second period and Jefferson Dahl's power play winner in the third period. Brian Nugent helped lead the comeback with two goals and an assist, while Kellan Lain and Anthony Luciani both scored for Idaho as well. Branden Komm stopped 30 shots for his 12 win of the season.

Lain Train...

Kellan Lain missed over a month due to injury between January 14th and February 17th, but in his first five games back he hasn't missed a beat. Lain notched a goal and an assist on Saturday, giving him two goals and four points since his return to the lineup. Lain's game was showing offensive improvement prior to his departure, with Lain recording six goals and 13 points in his last 14 games, dating back to December 28th. Lain's linemate for much of Saturday night was Brian Nugent, who missed two months with an injury this season but has also responded strong since his return. Nugent's two-goal effort in Missouri was the fourth multi-goal game of his career, but the first since his rookie season. Nugent has four goals and six points in his last seven games.

Timely Power...

The Steelheads' power play scored often during their two-game set in Missouri, but it also came through when they needed it most. The Steelheads were defeated on Friday night by the Mavericks, but they did get two power play goals in the final 1:23 of the first period to erase what was a 2-0 deficit. On Saturday, Anthony Luciani's power play goal brought the Steelheads within two goals in the second period and Jefferson Dahl's power play tally in the third gave Idaho its first lead. The Steelheads' power play was 4-for-7 on the weekend against a Maverick penalty kill that began that week ranked seventh in the league. The Steelheads will now face a Rush PK that is 18th in the ECHL, but has killed 17 of the past 20 disadvantages during the last five games.

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