The Tahoe Knight Monsters hit the ice for their twenty-second game of the season, meeting the Rapid City Rush once again in a Western Conference clash. Coming in as the ECHL affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights, Tahoe was eager to bounce back after a tough loss. The Knight Monsters entered the night as one of the league’s hottest teams, carrying a strong 13-7-1 record and plenty of momentum. Rapid City, affiliated with the Calgary Flames, rode into the rematch fresh off their win over Tahoe and sporting an 8-9-2 record. Historically, the advantage has leaned Tahoe’s way with a 6-3-1 all-time mark against the Rush, adding another layer of intrigue to what has quickly become a competitive and compelling rivalry.
The Tahoe Knight Monsters entered this matchup hungry for their fourteenth win of the season and determined to bounce back after a tough recent loss. With the top spot in the division still within reach, Tahoe came in laser-focused on regaining momentum and reinforcing their status as a legitimate contender in the Western Conference. Across the ice, the Rapid City Rush were looking to build off their latest victory and string together back-to-back wins as they continued their climb up the divisional standings. With both teams chasing something important, Tahoe fighting to stay on top and Rapid City pushing to rise. The stage was set for a high-energy, high-stakes matchup with plenty on the line for both sides.
Cameron Whitehead drew the start for the Tahoe Knight Monsters, marking his tenth appearance of the season as he continued to solidify his role in the crease. At the other end, Arsenii Sergeev got the call for the Rapid City Rush, also making his tenth start of the year. With both goaltenders hitting notable milestones and looking to make an impact, the stage was set for a compelling battle between the pipes.
With under six minutes left in the first period, Kaelan Taylor of the Tahoe Knight Monsters received a penalty for cross-checking. Neither team scored in the first period. The game was tied 0-0 after the first period.
Five minutes into the second period, Adam Pitters of the Knight Monsters received a penalty for high-sticking. Eight minutes into the second period, Jake Ratzlaff of the Rush was called for slashing. With under six minutes left in the second period, Jake Durflinger was called for fighting. At the same time Arvils Bergmanis of the Rush was called for fighting. Less than a minute later Darian Pilon of the Rush was called for high-sticking.
With under five minutes left in the period, Jake Ratzlaff called for interference. This gave the Knight Monsters a 5-on-3 power play. On the power play, #21 Adam Pitters scored to give the Knight Monsters the lead. His goal was assisted by #26 Nate Kallen and #38 Jordan Gustafson.
The Knight Monsters had a 1-0 lead going into the third period.
nineteen seconds into the third period, the Rush tied the game. The tying goal was scored by #70 Rasmus Ekström. His goal was assisted by #51 Quinn Olson.#70 Rasmus Ekström, assisted by #51 Quinn Olson.
Seven minutes into the game Samuel Mayer of the Knight Monsters and Seth Fyten of the Rush were called for roughing. Nine minutes into the third period, #76 Xavier Bernard scored to give the Rush the lead. His goal was assisted by #13 Ryan Wagner and #72 Étienne Morin.
Ten minutes into the third period, Darian Pilon of the Rush was called for roughing. With under three minutes left in the game #29 Ryan Chyzowski scored an empty net goal to give the Rush a two goal lead.
With under a minute remaining in the game #21 Cameron Buhl scored an empty net goal to give the Rush a three goal lead.
The final score was 4-1 Rapid City Rush.
https://echl.com/videos/rapid-city-rush-vs-tahoe-knight-monsters-dec-5-2025
The first period ended scoreless, even though the Tahoe Knight Monsters generated plenty of quality chances and carried much of the early momentum. Tahoe finally broke through in the second period, grabbing the lead and appearing to settle into their game. But the third period unraveled quickly, as the Rapid City Rush surged with four unanswered goals to take control and ultimately seal the win. For a Knight Monsters team looking for a bounce-back performance, this was far from the response they needed. Allowing four straight goals stung, especially in a game where Tahoe created opportunities but simply couldn’t finish. Chance after chance slipped away, and in the end, they managed just a single goal. With back-to-back losses now on the board, the Knight Monsters suddenly find themselves teetering on the edge of a potential losing streak, searching for answers as they look to regroup.
The Tahoe Knight Monsters are set to face the Rapid City Rush in the twenty-third game of the season. This matchup marks the final game of this three-game series at home. The puck is dropping on Friday, December 5th, 2025, at 7:00 PM. It will be the annual Teddy Bear Toss.
Zac Electrifly 
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