Tahoe Knight Monsters Playoff Primer: Round 1 vs Kansas City Mavericks
ECHL Tahoe Knight Monsters

Tahoe Knight Monsters Playoff Primer: Round 1 vs Kansas City Mavericks

Published on April 23, 2026 under ECHL (ECHL)
Tahoe Knight Monsters News Release


STATELINE, NV - The Tahoe Knight Monsters, proud ECHL Affiliate of the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights and the AHL's Henderson Silver Knights, begin the first round of the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs against the Kansas City Mavericks.

The Knight Monsters open up the best-of-7 series on the road in the Show Me State as they battle the Mavericks at Cable Dahmer Arena on Friday, April 24, and Saturday, April 25. Puck drop for Friday's game is set for 5:05 pm PT, and puck drop on Saturday will take place at 4:05 pm PT.

Tahoe then shifts home to host the Mavs for games three and four, which are set for Wednesday, April 29, and Thursday, April 30. Puck drop for both contests is at 7 pm PT.

Below is the full first-round schedule for the series:

Game 1- Tahoe Knight Monsters @ Kansas City Mavericks- Friday, April 24, 5:05 pm PT (pregame coverage begins at 4:55 pm PT)- Cable Dahmer Arena- Independence, MO.

Game 2- Tahoe Knight Monsters @ Kansas City Mavericks- Saturday, April 25, 4:05 pm PT (pregame coverage begins at 3:55 pm PT)- Cable Dahmer Arena- Independence, MO.

Game 3- Kansas City Mavericks @ Tahoe Knight Monsters- Wednesday, April 29, 7:00 pm PT (pregame coverage begins at 6:50 pm PT)- Tahoe Blue Event Center- Stateline, NV.

Game 4- Kansas City Mavericks @ Tahoe Knight Monsters- Thursday, April 30, 7:00 pm PT (pregame coverage begins at 6:50 pm PT)- Tahoe Blue Event Center- Stateline, NV.

Game 5 (if necessary)- Kansas City Mavericks @ Tahoe Knight Monsters- Saturday, May 2, 7:00 pm PT (pregame coverage begins at 6:50 pm PT)- Tahoe Blue Event Center- Stateline, NV.

Game 6 (if necessary)- Tahoe Knight Monsters @ Kansas City Mavericks- Monday, May 4, 5:05 pm PT (pregame coverage begins at 4:55 pm PT)- Cable Dahmer Arena- Independence, MO.

Game 7 (if necessary)- Tahoe Knight Monsters @ Kansas City Mavericks- Wednesday, May 6, 5:05 pm PT (pregame coverage begins at 4:55 pm PT)- Cable Dahmer Arena- Independence, MO.

REGULAR SEASON STATS- KNIGHT MONSTERS VS MAVERICKS

Head-to-Head Series Matchups

Friday, January 23 @ Kansas City- KC wins 5-3

Saturday, January 24 @ Kansas City- KC wins 4-3 OT

Friday, March 6 @ Kansas City- KC wins 5-2

Saturday, March 7 @ Kansas City- KC wins 5-3

Wednesday, March 11 @ Tahoe- TAH wins 4-2

Friday, March 13 @ Tahoe- KC wins 6-5

Saturday, March 14 @ Tahoe- KC wins 8-1

Knight Monsters Leading Scorers vs Mavericks

-Devon Paliani leads the Knight Monsters against the Mavericks this season with 10 points in 7 games. Paliani has five goals and five assists against the Mavericks, headlined by a two-goal performance on January 24 and a four-assist performance on March 13.

-Kevin Wall ranks second in scoring in the season series with six points. Wall did not play in the two January meetings between the two, but scored in all five matchups in March, led by a three-point outing in Tahoe's 4-2 win on March 11.

-Captain Luke Adam ranks third on the team in scoring against Kansas City with five points (including three in the first two matchups). Adam finished with a goal and four assists against the Mavericks in their seven season meetings.

Players to Watch: Kansas City Mavericks

-KC defenseman Marcus Crawford comes into this series as the leading point scorer in the ECHL this season, scoring 86 points in 70 games. In the seven games against the Knight Monsters, Crawford posted two goals and nine assists. Crawford is in his fifth season with Kansas City, joining the club for the first time during the 2019-20 season.

-Rookie forward Jackson Jutting has been an offensive weapon this season for the Mavericks, leading the team in goals with 30. His 30 goals were also top amongst ECHL rookies this season. Jutting scored three goals and added three assists in only five games played against Tahoe this season.

-Goaltending has been one of Kansas City's strengths this season, and its goaltending core has been led by Jack LaFontaine. LaFontaine leads KC in goaltending wins this season with 22 and has posted a 1.97 goals-against average. LaFontaine only appeared in one game against Tahoe this season, and after making six first-period saves, left the game early.

Any media outlets interested in requesting interviews can reach out to brenden@knightmonstershockey.com. The Knight Monsters look forward to hosting all interested media outlets at our home playoff games!

The Knight Monsters begin their quest for the Kelly Cup on the road this weekend as they take on the Kansas City Mavericks. Game one of the opening round takes place on Friday, April 24, with puck drop at 5:05 pm PT. Pregame coverage on the Knight Monsters broadcast network starts at 4:55 pm PT. For more information on upcoming games, visit knightmonstershockey.com.

Check out the Tahoe Knight Monsters Statistics

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