The Tahoe Knight Monsters entered their seventeenth game of the season looking to continue what had already been an impressive campaign. As the ECHL affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights, Tahoe carried a strong 9-6-1 record into the matchup and sat comfortably in second place in the league standings. Their previous meeting with the Savannah Ghost Pirates ended in a tough 8-1 loss, a result the Knight Monsters were eager to put behind them. Savannah, the ECHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers, came into the contest with a 6-2-3 record and ranked 16th overall in the league. With this marking just the third-ever meeting between the two teams, Tahoe entered the night focused on bouncing back and re-establishing their dominance.
The Tahoe Knight Monsters entered the matchup searching for their tenth win of the season and a strong bounce-back effort following a tough loss in their previous outing. With the ECHL standings tightening, Tahoe was also focused on staying atop the league and maintaining their early-season momentum. On the other side, the Savannah Ghost Pirates were chasing their seventh victory of the year, eager to continue building confidence. After a highly physical and penalty-filled game that featured several fights, and with no rest days between contests, there was a strong sense that the intensity and emotion from the previous matchup could easily spill over into this one.
In goal for the Tahoe Knight Monsters, #39 Cameron Whitehead earned the start, marking his sixth appearance between the pipes for Tahoe this season. Across the ice, the Savannah Ghost Pirates turned to #31 Michael Simpson, who made his fifth start of the year for the Ghost Pirates as both teams looked to their netminders to set the tone early.
Eight minutes into the game, The Savannah Ghost Pirates scored the first goal. The goal was scored by #13 Zach Krajnik. His goal was assisted by #53 Cole Krygier and #22 Logan Drevitch.
With eight minutes left in the opening period, Keaton Pehrson of the Ghost Pirates received a penalty for high-sticking. On the power play, the Tahoe Knight Monsters tied the game. The tying goal was scored by #65 Devon Paliani. They tying goal was assisted by #92 Sloan Stanick.
The score was tied at 1-1 after the first period.
Three minutes into the second period, Hunter Jogannes of the Ghost Pirates received a penalty for slashing. Six minutes into the second period, the Knight Monsters took the lead. The go ahead goal was scored by #65 Devon Paliani. His goal was assisted by #21 Adam Pitters and #14 Connor Marritt.
A minute after taking the lead, the Knight Monsters took a two goal lead. The goal was scored by #92 Sloan Stanick. His goal was assisted by #38 Jordan Gustafson.
Nine minutes into the second period, Jake Durflinger of the Knight Monsters received a penalty for roughing. On the same play, Noah Carroll of the Ghost Pirates received penalties for Roughing and cross-checking. With nine minutes left in the second period, Sloan Stanick received a penalty for slashing. With under five minutes left in the second period, Kevin Wall of the Knight Monsters received a penalty for slashing. With under three minutes left in the second period Hunter Johannes of the Ghost Pirates received a penalty for slashing. On the same play, Olivier LeBlanc of the Knight Monsters received a penalty for roughing. The Knight Monsters were leading the game 3-1 going into the third period.
Three minutes into the third period, Josh Davies of the Ghost Pirates received a penalty for tripping. Five minutes into the third period, Noah Carroll of the Ghost Pirates received a penalty for slashing. On the powerplay #25 Casey Bailey scored to give the Knight Monster a three goal lead. His goal was assisted by #94 Kevin Wall and #19 Luke Adam.
Just after the Knight Monsters fourth goal, Noah Carroll of the Ghost pirates received a penalty for boarding. Nine minutes into the third period, Adam Pitters of the Knight Monsters received a penalty for slashing. The Ghost Pirates scored a quick goal on the power play. #9 Robert Mastrosimone scored Savannah’s second goal of the game. His goal was assisted by #2 Dennis Cesana. This brought the Knight Monsters lead back down to two goals.
After the Ghost Pirates scored, Logan Drevitch of the Ghost Pirates received a penalty for diving/embellishment. At the same time Devon Paliani of the Knight Monsters received a penalty for slashing. With under five minutes left in the game, the Ghost Pirates scored to bring the lead down to one goal. The goal was scored by #2 Dennis Cesana. His goal was assisted by #26 Evan Nause and #11 Cristophe Tellier.
The Ghost Pirates did pull their goalie. The Knight Monsters didn’t score on the empty net. The Ghost Pirates could tie the game with the extra man. The final score was 4-3 Tahoe Knight Monsters.
https://echl.com/videos/savannah-ghost-pirates-vs-tahoe-knight-monsters-nov-22-2025
This one had a different feel right from the start, as the game featured a full four-official crew with two referees and two linesmen, something that had been missing in the previous two contests. The change was likely due to how physical that series had become. The Savannah Ghost Pirates struck first, but the Tahoe Knight Monsters refused to let that early goal define the period. Tahoe generated plenty of offensive chances early, and Cameron Whitehead came up with several highlight-reel saves that gave the Knight Monsters an immediate boost. There was noticeable behind-the-play activity in front of the benches. Savannah’s opening goal once again came on a tipped puck, continuing a trend of deflection goals that plagued Tahoe throughout the series. On that same play, the Knight Monsters struggled to cleanly exit their zone. Later in the period, the net was dislodged for a stoppage in play. Overall the first period reflected a strong bounce-back effort and an immediate response after Friday’s loss. Tahoe took control in the second period with one of their strongest stretches of hockey this season. Two goals, crisp passing, and strong puck movement built a commanding lead heading into the third. The physicality remained high, with an early scrum and another behind-the-play incident in front of the benches that went uncalled. During a power play, Tahoe appeared to score on a puck that zipped into the corner of the net and bounced back out, but the official (moving across the ice without a clear angle) ruled it no goal on the ice. Late in the period, frustration boiled over again after an icing call that, from the stands, appeared questionable, as a Tahoe player touched the puck first with no Savannah skater near enough to make a play.The Knight Monsters carried that momentum into the third period, but the Ghost Pirates refused to go quietly, clawing their way back into the game. Despite the push, Savannah couldn’t finish the comeback, and Tahoe held on for the win. One low-awareness penalty after a Savannah goal stood out as particularly unnecessary, especially in such a tight game, even if the call looked a bit embellished. One troubling pattern throughout the series was the tendency for players on both sides to engage in scrums after goals—an emotional response that, while entertaining, can quickly turn into a discipline problem. Over a long season, especially in close games, those types of penalties can be costly. The tension lingered even after the final buzzer, with another scrum breaking out and players slow to leave the ice.
All in all, this was a wild, emotional series that featured both the best and worst of Tahoe hockey. The Knight Monsters narrowly won the opener, were completely overwhelmed in the second game, and then delivered a determined, gritty response in the finale. There is clearly no love lost between these two teams, as reflected on both the penalty sheet and the scoreboard. It’s a shame they won’t see each other more often, because the intensity was undeniable. Tahoe emerged battered but victorious, and with a slightly longer break, the hope is they carry this same grit and determination into their next series.
The Savannah Ghost Pirates finished with a slight edge in shots on goal, outshooting the Tahoe Knight Monsters by a narrow 34 to 31 margin. Tahoe made their chances count with the better shooting efficiency on the night. The Knight Monsters also held a small special teams advantage, earning one additional power play opportunity. Savannah racked up six more penalty minutes overall. Between the pipes, Cameron Whitehead delivered another strong performance as he stopped 31 of 34 shots for a 91% save percentage. On the other end, Michael Simpson turned aside 27 of 31 shots for an 87% save percentage. Discipline played a role as well, with Tahoe finishing the game with 12 penalty minutes compared to Savannah’s 18. On the power play, the Knight Monsters capitalized twice on five opportunities, while the Ghost Pirates went 1-for-4 with the man advantage.
With the win, the Tahoe Knight Monsters improved their record to 10-6-1 through seventeen games this season, giving them a total of 21 points. The Knight Monsters now sit in fifth place overall in the ECHL standings, while also holding third place in the Western Conference and second place in the Mountain Division. Most importantly, Tahoe remains firmly in a playoff position as they continue to build momentum.
The Tahoe Knight Monsters are set to face the Tulsa Oilers in the eighteenth game of the season. This matchup marks the first game of another three-game series at home. The puck is dropping on Friday, November 28th, 2025, at 7:00 PM.
Zac Electrifly 
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