RAPID CITY - The search for a way to keep the fire lit under the Rapid City Rush continues for head coach Joe Ferras.

The Rush showed its mercurial nature again this week, shutting down Central Hockey League powerhouse Colorado, 4-0, in an electrifying debut before a sold-out home ice audience on Saturday.

Then Rapid City was outgunned and essentially outskated in a 3-1 loss to another division foe, the Rocky Mountain Rage, on Wednesday night at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

Hot-and-cold has been the hallmark for the Rush 16 games into their expansion CHL season, which continues with a two-game homestand against the Mississippi RiverKings tonight and Saturday night.

Games both nights start at 7:05 p.m.

Rapid City opened its see-saw year with a league-record-tying 14-game road trip, posting a 3-6-5 mark.

The opening tour's highlights included two shootout thrillers against the Colorado Eagles on Oct. 17 and Oct.18, an 8-2 franchise first win over Corpus Christi on Oct. 25, and a 4-2 victory over Wichita on Nov. 2.

But other highlights have often been sandwiched between outings the Rush would rather forget.

Defending league champion Arizona handed Rapid City a 7-1 setback on Nov. 14, with the Rush bouncing back for a 7-4 win over the Sundogs the following night.

The 4-0 blanking of Colorado on Saturday followed a 7-1 humbling by the Eagles less than 24 hours earlier in Loveland, Colo. The Rush also endured an 8-2 loss to the Eagles on Nov. 21, a game that saw Colorado explode for seven goals in the middle frame.

Second period swoons have been particularly vexing for Ferras and the Rush.

While the Rush has outscored opponents, 37-26, in the first and third periods combined, the middle period has been another story, with Rapid City being outscored, 37-15, and outshot, 217-131.

Rocky Mountain peppered Rapid City goalie Miguel Beaudry with 21 shots, scoring twiceb while Rapid City managed just four shots at Rage goalie Marty Magers in the second period Wednesday night.

"That's not acceptable. We've got to play 60 minutes every night, and until we do that, we're going to have the up-and-down season like we're doing now," said Rush player assistant Chris Lipsett.

Ferras said the level of physicality often determines Rapid City's fortunes on a given night.

"For us to be successful, we have to play the body, we can't afford to turn away from any check. If you turn away from a check in this league, then there's breakdowns," he said.

Lipsett agreed that aggressive play is the key.

"That's when we have our good games, whether we're scoring goals or not. We're always around the net and always getting chances. We have games like last night when we're not taking the body and getting in there and initiating contact."

Bright spots for the Rush have been the solid defense of netminders Miguel Beaudry and Lanny Ramage, and special teams play, particularly in penalty kill where Rapid City is a respectable 82 percent in quelling opponent's man-advantages.

The Rush is less successful in converting on power-play opportunities, scoring less than 20 percent of the time with the extra man.

Ferras said his players are aware of the results of taking the offensive.

"We're pro athletes. We're not going to win all our games we know that but you have to be committed to doing it," Ferras said. "We shouldn't need to be down three goals to get a wake-up call. We need to be on the offensive when teams come into our building. We know what we're capable of. We have to commit to it."

The Riverkings are 11-8-0, trailing the Oklahoma City Blazers in the CHL's Northeast Division. Mississippi downed Corpus Christi, 1-0, last Saturday night.

Mississippi's leader in finding the back of the net is Bobby Chaumont, a right-wing sniper with 12 goals and nine assists for 19 points. Center Louis Dumont leads with eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points.

The team's main goaltender is Kevin Beech, 10-6-0 overall, who's allowed 45 goals with 367 saves. Backup netminder Tyler Sims is 1-2, with nine goals allowed and 72 saves.

The RiverKings present a tough opponent, but Ferras said that's true of any team in the CHL

"You've got to be prepared to battle every night, or you're not going to win in the Central Hockey League. There's no ifs, ands or buts," he said.