The Tahoe Knight Monsters returned to the ice for their twenty-third game of the season, squaring off once again with the Rapid City Rush in a Western Conference showdown. As the ECHL affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights, Tahoe came into the matchup hungry for a rebound after dropping two straight to Rapid City. Even with those losses, the Knight Monsters were still one of the league’s stronger teams, entering the night with a solid 13-8-1 record and looking to regain their rhythm and momentum. Rapid City, the Calgary Flames ECHL affiliate, arrived with confidence after their recent success against Tahoe and carried a steady 9-9-2 record into the rematch. With the Knight Monsters holding a narrow historical advantage in the series at 6-4-1, this meeting set the stage for another intense chapter in an increasingly competitive and entertaining rivalry.
The Tahoe Knight Monsters entered this matchup determined to lock down their fourteenth win of the season, aiming to bounce back from a pair of tough back-to-back losses. With the division’s top spot still within reach, Tahoe was focused on regaining momentum and reaffirming their place as a true contender in the Western Conference. On the other side, the Rapid City Rush were chasing a third straight victory over the Knight Monsters as they continued climbing the divisional standings. With both teams looking to make a statement, this showdown carried plenty of energy, urgency, and meaningful implications for the direction of each club’s season.
Cameron Whitehead once again earned the start for the Tahoe Knight Monsters, marking his eleventh appearance of the season as he continued to anchor the crease for Tahoe. At the opposite end, Rapid City turned to Nathan Torchia, giving him his first game action of the season with the Rush. The contrasting storylines in net, Whitehead’s growing workload versus Torchia’s fresh debut, added an intriguing layer to the matchup right from the opening puck drop.
Four minutes into the game, Samuel Mayer of the Tahoe Knight Monsters was called for cross-checking. On the power play, #39 Ryan Chyzowaki scored to give the the Rapid City Rush the lead. His goal was assisted by #72 Étienne Morin and #13 Ryan Wagner.
Five minutes into the game, Matt Hubbarde of the Rush was called for interference. Eight minutes into the game, Olivier LeBlanc of Tahoe was called for unsportsmanlike conduct and holding. With under nine minutes remaining in the first period, Jake Durflinger of Tahoe was called for roughing. At the end of the period, Matt Hubbarde of the Rush was called for roughing. The Rapid City Rush had a 1-0 lead after the first period.
Three minutes into the second period, Trent Swick of Tahoe was called for slashing. Eleven minutes into the second period, #25 Casey Bailey scored to tie the game for the Tahoe Knight Monsters. It was also the teddy bear toss goal. The tying goal was assisted by #19 Luke Adam and #26 Nate Kallen.
The Rapid City Rush retook the lead with under four minutes remaining in the second period. The goal was scored by #29 Ryan Chyzowski and assisted by #70 Rasmus Ekström and #51 Quinn Olson.
With under three minutes remaining in the second period, Luke Adam of the Tahoe Knight Monsters would get a series of prnalties. He would get a penalty for slashing, a penalty for unsportmanlike conduct, he would also get a ten minute misconduct. The Rapid City Rush held a 2-1 lead going into the third period.
Three minutes into the third period, the Rapid City Rush received a bench minor penalty for too many men. Five minutes into the third period, #65 Devon Paliani scored to tie the game for Tahoe. The tying goal was assisted by #14 Connor Marritt and #7 Linden Alger.
Seven minutes into the third period, Sloan Stanick of Tahoe was called for tripping. Regulation would end in a 2-2 tie. The game would go into overtime.
There were no penalties in overtime. Neither team was able to score in overtime. Overtime ended in a 2-2 tie. The game would go to a shootout.
The Tahoe Knight Monsters shot first in the shootout. #65 Devon Paliani missed his attempt for Tahoe. #29 Ryan Chyzowski then scored on his attempt for Rapid City. #92 Sloan Stanick then missed his attempt for Tahoe. #91 Blake Bennett would score on his attempt for Rapid City. The Rapid City Rush won the game 3-2 in a shootout.
https://echl.com/videos/rapid-city-rush-vs-tahoe-knight-monsters-dec-6-2025
The Tahoe Knight Monsters found themselves trailing after the first period but battled back to tie the game midway through the second. Even so, they entered the third period still down a goal, forcing them to mount yet another comeback. Tahoe tied things up once more in the final frame, ultimately pushing the game to overtime and then a shootout. It wasn’t a bad performance by any means, Tahoe fought hard from start to finish, but penalty trouble repeatedly disrupted their ability to control the flow of play. Luke Adam stepped up when the moment called for it, earning respect from both teammates and fans. And in a lighter moment, the traditional teddy bears rained down onto the ice, while the crowd made sure the officials heard their frustrations throughout the night. Though Tahoe trailed for most of the game and it felt like Rapid City’s matchup to lose, picking up at least one point was something to build on.
All three games in this series were close, close enough that Tahoe could have won any of them. Yet the Knight Monsters walked away with just a single point. That’s not going to help them stay atop the division or maintain their standing as one of the league’s top teams. Officiating played a noticeable role, as it often does in the ECHL. While only one power play goal was scored across the entire series, the imbalance in calls against Tahoe was apparent. The Knight Monsters nearly doubled Rapid City’s penalty minutes, and many of the calls felt questionable. A blown whistle on what should’ve been a clean breakaway, missed roughing and holding infractions behind the play, and uneven responses to scrums added to the frustration. Luke Adam even took a cross-check after the whistle directly in front of the referee with no call. Whether or not Rapid City capitalized on the man advantage, the inconsistent officiating disrupted Tahoe’s ability to play their game. Still, Tahoe can’t chalk everything up to the refs. They struggled to finish chances, even with plenty of second and third opportunities that either hit bodies, stayed out by inches, or sat on the goal line. At the same time, Cameron Whitehead was being peppered with forty-plus shots a night and keeping Tahoe in every game. Something just felt off for the Knight Monsters this series. The offense needs to start burying chances, and the team as a whole must stop settling into long stretches defending in their own zone, a pattern that has lingered all season. Even so, this group has shown resilience before, and there’s every reason to believe they can turn things around as they head into their next series.
The Tahoe Knight Monsters are set to face the Tulsa Oilers in the twenty-fourth game of the season. This matchup marks the first game of this three-game series in Tulsa. The puck is dropping on Thursday, December 11th, 2025, at 5:00 PM.
Zac Electrifly 
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