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Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Walleye Capture Western Conference Finals, Eliminate Mavericks
For the third time in the last five post-seasons, the Toledo Walleye have captured the Bruce Taylor Trophy as ECHL Western Conference Champions. The Fish eliminated the Kansas City Mavericks with a 5-2 home victory Saturday at the Huntington Center. Toledo wins the best-of-seven series 4-1 and will meet the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals series between Florida and Trois-rivieres. The Lions lead that best-of-seven 3-2. Brandon Hawkins notched three points (1g-2a), Matt Anderson and Trenton Bliss both scored a pair of goals and Jan Bednar stopped 23 Kansas City shots to record the win. The Walleye, ranked second in the post-season with 3.50 goals per contest during the playoffs, got going early. Just over a minute and a half into the period, Jalen Smereck passed the puck to Matt Anderson and sent him on a breakaway to put the Fish on an early 1-0 lead. Anderson came into the game tied for second in plus-minus with a +11. Exactly three minutes later, Trenton Bliss made it 2-0 with a lucky goal in front of the net. The assists went to Smereck and Hawkins. The Mavericks narrowed the margin to 2-1 at 5:28 when Cade Borchardt buried a quick shot from in front of the net off a feed from Landon McCallum. Toledo responded right back at 14:03 as Bliss got his second goal of the evening with a tip-in in front of the net on the power play. Brandon Kruse and Hawkins picked up assists to make the score 3-1. With this assist, Hawkins broke the playoff assist record. The score remained that way until the third period, when Kansas City desperately tried to save their season. Cam Morrison brought them back to within 3-2 at 5:43 of the third, finishing a play that deflected off his body and in during a rush. The Walleye picked up a massive insurance goal at 12:25 by Anderson as he got his second of the night and gave the Fish a big momentum boost and a 4-2 advantage. As time began to tick down and the Huntington Center began to roar, Hawkins got the empty net goal to seal the 5-2 win and the Western Conference title. Jack LaFontaine made 28 saves in net for Kansas City in the loss. The Mavericks conclude the year with a 49-18-5 regular season record, totaling 103 points and finishing third in the ECHL. The team boasted a +78 goal differential. The Walleye advance to the Kelly Cup Finals for the third time in their last five post-season appearances after falling to Newfoundland in six games in 2019 and to Florida in five games in 2022. It is the fifth visit to the final round of the ECHL playoffs for a Toledo team, as the Toledo Storm won back-to-back Riley Cup championships in 1993 and 1994. The Western Conference Championship trophy is named in recognition of Bruce Taylor, who was the founding father of the West Coast Hockey League. Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals will take place Tuesday at Hertz Arena in Estero, Florida. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 Pm ET. Florida would also host a Game 7 if necessary Wednesday at that same time.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Toledo Pitches Shutout In KC, Takes 1-0 Lead In Western Conference Finals
Coming into the Western Conference Finals, Kansas City Mavericks goaltender Jack LaFontaine had allowed one goal or less in six of 10 games this post-season. Through two periods in Game 1 Thursday night against the Toledo Walleye, he appeared to be on his way to equaling that mark. Then, two quick goals within 20 seconds changed all that, and the Walleye walked away with a 2-0 shutout at Cable Dahmer Arena to take a 1-0 lead in the WCF. Matt Anderson finally broke the scoreless tie at 2:51 of the third period off his own rebound. The assist went to Carson Bantle. Just 20 seconds later, Cole Gallant went on a breakaway and added some much needed insurance to put Toledo up 2-0. Dylan Moulton assisted on the play. As solid as LaFontaine was, Toledo netminder Jan Bednar was perfect on the night, stopping all 25 shots he faced. LaFontaine made 32 saves in the loss. Bednar's shutout was the first in the post-season for the Walleye since 2022. Both teams played intense but well-disciplined hockey, and Toledo stole the Mavericks' home ice advantage in the series. This year marks the second consecutive meeting between these two teams in the Western Conference Finals, with the Mavericks taking last year's series 4-2. Game 2 of this series is Saturday at Cable Dahmer Arena, with puck drop set for 6:05 Pm CT.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Knight Monsters' Inaugural Season Ends; Mavericks Clinch Western Conference Finals Berth
The storybook season for the Tahoe Knight Monsters is over. After sweeping through their first-ever playoff series, they were handed the same treatment by the Kansas City Mavericks in the Mountain Division Finals. On Friday, the Mavericks completed a sweep of the series with a convincing 6-0 shutout in front of a packed crowd at Tahoe Blue Event Center. Max Andreev opened the scoring for the Mavericks just 1:42 into the first period for a 1-0 lead. In the ensuing minutes, Tahoe had chances to score with a four-minute power play and a penalty shot, but could not solve Mavericks netminder Jack LaFontaine. Cade Borchardt and Jackson Berezowski also scored in the opening frame, helping Kansas City take a commanding 3-0 lead after the opening 20 minutes. Damien Giroux added to the lead just 21 seconds into the second period, and the game was never in doubt. Jake McLaughlin scored the final goal midway through the third period, assisted by Zack Trott. Jack LaFontaine was stellar in goal, stopping all 25 shots he faced to earn his fourth shutout of the 2025 Kelly Cup Playoffs, the most of any goaltender in the league. The Mavericks outshot Tahoe 33-25 and killed off all five penalties they faced to finish a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill. With the win, the Mavericks advance to the Western Conference Final for the second straight season. They will host the winner of the Fort Wayne Komets and Toledo Walleye series at Cable Dahmer Arena, with dates and times to be announced soon. It was a disappointing finish for the Knight Monsters, but the fans at Tahoe Blue Event Center cheered as their beloved team vacated the ice, saluting them for an incredible campaign. The send-off was well-deserved. The Knight Monsters certainly have a lot to be proud of in their first season in the ECHL. Bigger and better things are sure to come.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
3 Takeaways From Wednesday Night In The ECHL
A head coach celebrates a birthday by tying a franchise record for career victories, while another club's record winning streak continues. Here are three takeaways from Wednesday action in the ECHL. Happy Birthday To Tad Wednesday was a special night for Kansas City Mavericks head coach Tad O'Had for three reasons. First and foremost, the Mavericks cruised to an 8-3 victory over the Utah Grizzlies at Cable Dahmer Arena. Second, O'Had officially tied Scott Hillman as the winningest coach in Kansas City Mavericks history with 186 career victories. Third, Wednesday was his birthday. It doesn't get much better than that. The Mavericks didn't wait around to start the party, scoring three goals in a span of less than five minutes in the opening period. Damien Giroux scored twice and Max Andreev added a tally for a 3-0 KC lead heading into the first intermission. The onslaught continued early in the second frame. David Cotton scored a power-play goal 27 seconds in before the Grizzlies finally responded at the 5:47 mark to cut the deficit to 4-1. Kansas City quickly took back the momentum as Cotton scored again at 12:52 to restore their four-goal advantage after two periods. Andreev lit the lamp for his second of the night 39 seconds into the third period for a 6-1 Mavericks lead. Utah scored at 7:47, but KC once again regained control when Giroux completed a hat trick and Andreev did the same a minute later. THESE TWO HAD THEMSELVES A GAME TONIGHT‼️Congrats to each on scoring Hat Tricks🎩 — Kansas City Mavericks (@kc_mavericks) February 27, 2025 Another goal by the Grizzlies made the final score 8-3. It was the first time since 2021 the Mavericks recorded two hatties in a single game. O'Had is poised to break the franchise career wins record Friday against Utah. A Streak Lives On The record winning streak for the Rapid City Rush stands at 10 following Wednesday's 4-3 home overtime victory over the Idaho Steelheads at The Monument. Blake Bennett was the overtime hero for the Rush, scoring 45 seconds into the extra frame to go along with a power-play goal in the first period. Special teams play was the big factor in this game, as all three of Rapid City's regulation goals were scored with the man advantage. Deni Goure, Bennett and Connor Mylymok each lit the lamp on a power-play. Neither team managed more than a one-goal lead throughout the game. The Steelheads scored an early goal in each of the first two periods, then tied the game with less than five minutes remaining in regulation. Just as the fans settled back into their seats for overtime, Bennett took a cross-ice pass from Billy Constantinou and fired a wrist shot to the top-left corner of the net for the game-winner. Bennett, the reigning Inglasco ECHL Player of the Week, now has two game-winning OT goals against Idaho during the Rush's winning streak, with the first coming at the very beginning. He's tallied 14 goals in his first 17 Rush games this season. Solar Bears Ice Jacksonville The Jacksonville Icemen came into their contest against the Orlando Solar Bears with a 5-0 record against them in overtime and a 3-0 mark over that same club in the month of February. Both those streaks went out the window Wednesday after coughing up a three-goal lead and allowing Orlando to roar back to snatch a victory in the extra frame. The Icemen grabbed a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes. Orlando began to take control with two tallies in the second, then scored the final three goals after Jacksonville had a 4-2 lead. After the Icemen outshot Orlando over the first 40 minutes, the Solar bears returned the favor with an 18-2 advantage in the third. After pulling goaltender Ryan Fanti with under two minutes left in regulation, the Bears tied the game on Aaron Luchuk's second of the night with 23 seconds remaining to force some bonus hockey. Jacksonville controlled the puck for the first 90 minutes of overtime, but it was the Solar Bears who scored on a 4-on-3 power play. Jaydon Dureau took a pass from Hudson Thornton and sent a snap shot past Icemen goalie Justen Close to complete the comeback victory. @jaydon_d15 GIVES US THE W!!! 😱 @ECHL — Orlando Solar Bears (@OrlandoHockey) February 27, 2025
