FRIDAY SADDLEBAG: Mavs Wrap Up Home Stand With Weekend Set vs. Idaho

The Mavericks wrap up a six game home stand this weekend against the Idaho Steelheads Friday and Saturday night. Friday night is Faith + Family Night, featuring a postgame skate and live concert on the ice. To participate in the postgame skate, it will be $5 with skate rental and $2 if you bring your own skate. Please pick up a waiver at the ticket table and return it to the team store before there are five minutes left in regulation.

Also, help the Mavericks support Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph and Northeast Kansas by bringing in boxes of macaroni and cheese to help us stock food banks around the metro area. Also, for each ticket purchased through kcmavericks.com/catholic, Catholic Charities will donate 10 boxes of mac and cheese to local food banks.

Saturday Night is Light The Rink Night in support of Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Help us raise awareness for LLS and leukemia and lymphoma treatment and research on one of our most special nights of the year. It's also Cheeze's Princess Party! Princesses from Planet Comicon will be here to celebrate everyone's favorite little filly. Click here for ticket information.

Faceoff for both games is 7:05 p.m. Be sure to tune in to KSMO-TV locally on Friday night as Joel Goldberg and Matt Stephenson bring you our second-to-last live TV broadcast of the season.

Now, onto the action on the ice. Here's what we're keeping an eye on this weekend...

Offensive DefensemanMavericks defenseman Willie Raskob has recorded a point in five consecutive games with two goals and four assists in the Mavericks last five games. 

Debuting TonightThe Mavericks made two player acquisitions this week. Brayden Scherbinin was acquired as a future consideration from the February 14th trade that sent Zach Fischer to the Rapid City Rush. Jake Henderson, a rookie forward from St. Louis, MO, was acquired on Wednesday. Both are slated to make their Mavericks debuts tonight.

Betzold Firing On All CylindersMavericks Forward Greg Betzold has four goals and an assist in his last five games, providing key offensive production for a Mavericks team missing two of its leading scorers in Jared VanWormer and Mark Cooper, who are both on PTO duty in the AHL with Colorado and San Antonio, respectively.

Veteran PresenceMavericks Forward Joey Sides is the Mavericks biggest offensive producer in the last seven games. The veteran has five goals and five assists last seven games for the Mavericks, leading a February surge that has the Mavericks firmly in the fourth and final playoff spot in the Mountain Division.

February ReboundAfter a 4-6-1 January, the Mavericks rebounded with a 7-4-1-0 February record, highlighted by a three game stretch against the then-first place Utah Grizzlies on President’s Day weekend in which the Mavericks took home five of a possible six points in West Valley City, UT.

ShortiesThe Mavericks are third in the league in fewest shorthanded goals allowed with four on the season.

The Ides Of MarchAfter this weekend against Idaho, the Mavericks will only have four home games remaining on the schedule.

Arms LengthThe Mavericks currently hold the fourth and final playoff position in the Mountain Division, with an eight point lead over fifth place Rapid City and nine point lead over Wichita with four games at hand on both teams.

Closing in on 100 winsMavericks Head Coach John-Scott Dickson is closing in on 100 career wins as a head coach. In three seasons with the Mavericks, his record currently stands at 95-83-11-8.