The Tahoe Knight Monsters returned to the ice for their twenty-first game of the season, stepping into a pivotal Western Conference matchup against the Rapid City Rush. Tahoe, the ECHL affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights, entered the contest with plenty of momentum after sweeping a three-game series against the Tulsa Oilers and stretching their winning streak to four straight. Sitting at 13-6-1, the Knight Monsters have quickly become one of the league’s hottest teams. Rapid City, the Calgary Flames affiliate, arrived looking to bounce back from a loss to the Idaho Steelheads and carrying a 7-9-2 record. Historically, Tahoe has controlled this matchup with a 6-2-1 all-time advantage, adding another layer of intrigue as these two divisional rivals met once again.
The Tahoe Knight Monsters entered this divisional matchup focused on securing their fourteenth win of the season and tightening their grip on the top spot in the standings. With a four-game winning streak already in hand, Tahoe was pushing for a fifth straight victory as they continued their climb toward the top of the ECHL. Meanwhile, the Rapid City Rush were searching for their eighth win and hoping to generate some much-needed momentum to escape the bottom of the division. It was a classic top-versus-bottom showdown, one that favored Tahoe heavily in last week’s action. Riding a strong surge of confidence, the Knight Monsters looked to maintain their dominance over lower-ranked opponents and capitalize on their current form to keep the streak alive.
Cameron Whitehead drew the start in net for the Tahoe Knight Monsters, making his ninth appearance of the season as he continued to settle into a strong rhythm for the team. Across the ice, Arsenii Sergeev got the call for the Rapid City Rush, also stepping into his ninth game of the year. With both goaltenders matching up in experience and workload, the stage was set for an intriguing battle in the crease.
With six minutes left in the first period, Chase Pauls of the Rapid City Rush was called for high-sticking. With three minutes left in the first period, the Rush took the lead. #13 Ryan Wagner scored an un assisted goal to take the lead.
With three seconds left in the first period, Xavier Bernard of the Rush was called for hooking. The Rush had a 1-0 lead after the first period.
Less than a minute into the second period, the Rapid City Rush scored. #51 Quinn Olson gave the Rush a two goal lead. His goal was assisted by #29 Ryan Chyzowski.
Four minutes into the second period, Trent Swick of the Tahoe Knight Monsters received a penalty for high-sticking. With under seven minutes remaining in the second period, #14 Briley Wood scored to give the Rush a three goal lead. His goal was assisted by #39 Matt Hubbarde and #8 Chaz Smedsrud.
With under six minutes left in the second period, Sloan Stanick of the Knight Monsters received a penalty for slashing. The Rush had a 3-0 lead going into the third period.
Three minutes into the third period, the Tahoe Knight Monsters got on the board. The goal was scored by #92 Sloan Stanick. His goal was assisted by #26 Nate Kallen and #38 Jordan Gustafson.
Six minutes into the third period, Jake Ratzlaff of the Rush was called for cross-checking. On the power play, the Knight Monsters scored to bring the lead down to one goal. The power play goal was scored by #25 Casey Bailey. His goal was assisted by #65 Devon Paliani and #38 Jordan Gustafson.
With under four minutes remaining in the game, Devon Paliani of the Knight Monsters received a penalty for tripping. With under two minutes left in the game, #21 Cameron Buhl scored for the Rush. His goal was assisted by #12 Chase Pauls and #29 Ryan Chyzowski.
Less than thirty-seconds later #76 Xavier Bernard scored an unassisted empty net goal.
The final score was 5-2. The Rush took the first game of this three game stint.
https://echl.com/videos/rapid-city-rush-vs-tahoe-knight-monsters-dec-3-2025
The Rush struck first on the scoreboard, adding to their lead in the second period and holding firm through the third as the Knight Monsters spent the night playing from behind. Despite generating plenty of offensive pressure, Tahoe just couldn’t find the back of the net when it mattered. It was one of those games where the chances were there, but the finish simply wasn’t. Their power play goal was overshadowed by a costly shorthanded goal allowed, and without ever holding a lead, the Knight Monsters couldn’t build or protect any momentum. Tahoe brought physicality, but it wasn’t enough to control the tempo, and the energy on the ice didn’t match what they’d shown during their four-game winning streak. The passing and execution felt a step off, and battles for loose pucks didn’t go their way. Adding to the frustration, the midweek crowd was sparse (typical for a Wednesday) and forward Jake McGrew left the game early and did not return. It was simply an off night across the board for the Knight Monsters.
Statistically, the Knight Monsters controlled much of the shot volume, firing 40 shots compared to Rapid City’s 33, but the Rush made their chances count with a stronger shooting percentage. Both teams had an identical three power play opportunities and six penalty minutes. Tahoe managed to convert just one of their power play chances while surrendering a costly shorthanded goal. Rapid City, meanwhile, went 0 for 3 with the man advantage. In net, Cameron Whitehead stopped 28 of 33 shots for an .85 save percentage for Tahoe. While Arsenii Sergeev delivered an impressive performance for the Rush, turning aside 38 of 40 shots for a .95 save percentage. Despite generating more offense, Tahoe couldn’t solve Sergeev often enough to change the outcome.
With the loss, the Tahoe Knight Monsters move to 13-7-1 on the season, holding 27 points through 21 games. Despite the setback, Tahoe remains tied for second in the overall ECHL standings and continues to share the top spot in the Western Conference. They also maintain their lead in the Mountain Division, keeping them firmly positioned in a playoff spot as the season continues to unfold.
The Tahoe Knight Monsters are set to face the Rapid City Rush in the twenty-second game of the season. This matchup marks the second game of this three-game series at home. The puck is dropping on Friday, December 5th, 2025, at 7:00 PM.
Zac Electrifly 
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