Sometimes, great goaltending isn’t quite enough, especially when your opponent is slightly better.
That was the case for Tahoe Knight Monsters goaltender Jesper Vikman, who stopped 30 shots in Game 2 of the Mountain Division Finals series against the Kansas City Mavericks.
Unfortunately for Vikman, Mavericks goalie Jack LaFontaine was the one who was perfect on the night, pitching a shutout in a 3-0 win at Cable Dahmer Arena to put KC ahead 2-0 in the series.
At first, it looked as if the Knight Monsters would get control early. The opening period began with Tahoe controlling the offensive zone, outshooting the Mavericks 7-1 in the opening seven minutes of play.
But Kansas City quickly changed the momentum in the second half of the frame, peppering Vikman with numerous shots in the final minutes. They kept up the pressure in the second period, breaking the ice just under four minutes in on a deflection goal by Nathan Dunkley.
The initial shot came right off a faceoff and board battle win for the Mavericks, who consistently won important draws and played relentlessly on the puck all game long.
The Knight Monsters had a couple of chances on the power play in the final few minutes of the frame, but couldn’t capitalize. The teams went to the dressing room with KC holding a 1-0 lead after 40 minutes. The Mavericks held the shot advantage 25-12.
The Knight Monsters began the third period with a few high-danger chances on LaFontaine, but KC put a dagger in Tahoe’s heart with a shorthanded goal by Cade Borchardt with 3:07 left in regulation.
Cam Morrison would add an empty-netter to make the score of 3-0 hold up.
The series now heads to Tahoe with the Knight Monsters down 2-0. Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday, with puck drop set for 7 Pm PT at the Tahoe Blue Event Center.