STATELINE, Nev – The Tahoe Knight Monsters are headed to the first round of ECHL Conference playoffs, taking the last spot in the Western League. In their second year as a team, the Knight Monsters are in the playoffs for the second time.
The playoff games at Lake Tahoe are scheduled for April 29 and April 30 for games 3 and 4 in the best-of-seven series. If needed, game 7 will also be at the Tahoe Blue Event Center. Playoff tickets can be purchased HERE.
In their last games in the regular season, the Knight Monsters split their two-game series against the Allen Americans and now head to Rapid City for a two-game series against the Rush.
Friday – The Tahoe Knight Monsters were defeated by the Allen Americans on the road by a score of 6-2.
In the first period, goaltending stole the show as Tahoe’s Jordan Papirny and Allen’s Brett Mirwald both shut the door on both offenses as the two teams went scoreless into the second.
In the second, Allen started the scoring on the power play with a goal from Brayden Watts to make it 1-0. Just over six minutes later, Jake McGrew scored his 22nd of the season on the man advantage for Tahoe to tie the game at 1. Captain Luke Adam would find the back of the net just over a minute later to give the Knight Monsters a 2-1 lead, but from there it would be all Allen. Spencer Asuchak would tie the game, and Colton Hargrove scored on the power play to give Allen a 3-2 lead going into the final 20.
In the third, another power play goal from Hargrove, a goal from Michael Gildon, and another marker on the man advantage for Jax Dubois gave the Americans a big 6-2 victory.
Saturday – The Tahoe Knight Monster beat the Allen Americans by a score of 4-3 in overtime.
In the first period, Allen got out to an early lead as Spencer Asuchak found the back of the net to make it 1-0. Later in the frame, Devon Paliani scored his team-leading 31st goal of the season as Tahoe tied the game 1-1 heading into the middle frame.
In the second, Tahoe jumped out in front with a pair of goals as Trent Swick got on the board with his 25th of the season to make it 2-1, and Paliani added on with his second of the game to give the Knight Monsters a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes of play.
In the third, Allen climbed back into the contest as Michael Gildon and Brayden Watts both scored in the final 20 to knot the game at 3. With neither team breaking through in the late portion of the period, the game went to overtime.
In OT, on the power play, it was Kevin Wall scoring a one-time snipe off a pass from Paliani to become the sixth Knight Monster this season to reach 20 goals, and giving Tahoe a 4-3 overtime victory.