The Tahoe Knight Monsters Played the Cincinnati Cyclones on Saturday. The game was at the Tahoe Blue Event Center. The Tahoe Knight Monsters were fourth in the Mountain Division with a record of 33-28-6. The Tahoe Knight Monsters are the ECHL affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights. The Tahoe Knight Monsters were coming off a shutout win over the Cincinnati Cyclones. The Cincinnati Cyclones were in sixth place in the Central Division with a record of 32-29-4. The Cincinnati Cyclones are the ECHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Cincinnati Cyclones were coming off a loss to the Tahoe Knight Monsters. This was the last regular-season home game for the Tahoe Kngiht Monsters.
The Tahoe Knight Monsters closed out their 2025-26 regular season home schedule with this game, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. With a playoff berth within reach, Tahoe had an opportunity to clinch a spot with a win in front of the home crowd. The Knight Monsters entered this matchup looking to build momentum after an impressive shutout victory, aiming to secure back-to-back wins at a crucial point in the season. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Cyclones came into the game hungry for a bounce-back performance after being held scoreless in their previous outing. As the postseason picture tightened, every point means more. The Knight Monsters needed just three more points to lock up the final playoff spot in the division. However, the race remained competitive, and the Rapid City Rush were still able to finish the season with up to 72 points, while the Wichita Thunder could reach 74. On the other hand, the Tulsa Oilers and Utah Grizzlies had been eliminated from playoff contention, with maximum possible finishes of 65 and 71 points, respectively. There were multiple scenarios in play that could have determined Tahoe’s fate. If the Wichita Thunder lost their game and the Knight Monsters secured a win, Tahoe would clinch a playoff berth. Additionally, there was a possibility that the Knight Monsters could secure their spot through tiebreakers before Wichita had the chance to match them in points. The Thunder faced the Utah Grizzlies on Saturday as well, adding another layer of intrigue to the evening’s scoreboard watching, while Tahoe focused on taking care of business on home ice. With playoff implications, momentum on the line, and a passionate home crowd behind them, the question was, will the Tahoe Knight Monsters rise to the occasion and punch their ticket to the postseason, or will the Cincinnati Cyclones play spoiler and silence the crowd?
Alex Tracy got the start in net for the Tahoe Knight Monsters. It was his second game of the season for Tahoe. Kaidan Mbereko got the start in net for the Cincinnati Cyclones. It was his third game played of the season for Cincinnati.
A minute into the game, Tucker Ness of the Tahoe Knight Monsters was called for fighting. At the same time, Rhett Parsons of the Cincinnati Cyclones was called for fighting.
Three minutes into the game, Justin Vaive of Cincinnati was called for tripping. Seven minutes into the game, Devon Paliani scored to give the Tahoe Knight Monsters the lead. His goal was assisted by Kevin Wall and Sloan Stanick.
With under nine minutes left in the first period, Justin Portillo of Cincinnati was called for delay of game. The Tahoe Knight Monsters were leading the game 1-0 after the first period.
Seven minutes into the second period, Aidan De La Gorgendiere scored to give the Tahoe Knight Monsters a two-goal lead. His goal was assisted by Samuel Huo and Trent Swick.
With under seven minutes left in the second period, Marko Sikic scored to get the Cincinnati Cyclones on the board. His goal was assisted by MAx Smolinski. This goal brought the lead down to one goal.
With under six minutes left in the second period, Luke Grainger of Cincinnati was called for slashing. With under three minutes left in the second period, Griffin Ludtke of Cincinnati was called for tripping. The Tahoe Knight Monsters were leading the game 2-1 going into the third period.
A minute into the third period, Elijah Vilio of the Cincinnati Cyclones was called for tripping. Five minutes into the third period, Kaelan Taylor of the Tahoe Knight Monsters was called for hooking. On the power play, the Cyclones tied the game. The tying goal was scored by Adam Kydd. His goal was assisted by Nick Rheaume and Ryan Kirwan.
Eight minutes into the third period, Aidan De LA Gorgendiere of Tahoe was called for holding. With under nine minutes left in the game, Ryan Kirwan scored to give the Cyclones the lead. His goal was assisted by Liam Kidney.
With under two minutes left in the game, the Knight Monsters pulled their goalie for the extra attacker. The Cyclones would hold onto their lead. The final score was 3-2, Cincinnati Cyclones.
The Tahoe Knight Monsters scored first. They were leading through the second period. Three unanswered goals by the Cincinnati Cyclones would be the difference maker. The Knight Monsters gave up their lead. Tahoe did not show up offensively in the third period. Tahoe was unable to secure a playoff spot with this game. Games like these are frustrating. A one-goal loss to a team that should have been an easy win. It is especially frustrating when there are a lot of playoff implications. Now the Tahoe Knight Monsters are in the playoffs. Thanks to other teams losing. Now the Tahoe Knight Monsters have to face the hottest team in the ECHL for the first round of the playoffs. On top of that, Tahoe have not been playing the best heading into the playoffs. This is not the kind of loss to have leading up to the playoffs. Tahoe needs to be building momentum and playing like a playoff team as we head towards the playoffs, and they are not with efforts like in this game. On a positive note, Alex Tracy has been the best player on the ice for Tahoe in the last two games. That is a great thing to see heading into the playoffs.
The Cincinnati Cyclones had eight more shots on goal. The Tahoe Knight Monsters had 24 total shots on net. The Cincinnati Cyclones had 32 total shots on net. The Cyclones had the better shot percentage. The Cincinnati Cyclones scored the only power-play goal of the game. The Tahoe Knight Monsters were 0 for 5 on the power play. The Cincinnati Cyclones were 1 for 2 on the power play. The Cincinnati Cyclones had six more penalty minutes. The Tahoe Knight Monsters had 3 penalties totaling 9 penalty minutes. The Cincinnati Cyclones had 6 penalties totaling 15 penalty minutes. Alex Tracy saved 29 shots with a 91% save percentage for the Tahoe Knight Monsters. Kaidan Mbereko saved 22 shots with a save percentage of 92% for the Cincinnati Cyclones.
The Tahoe Knight Monsters have now played 68 games. They have a record of 33-29-6 with 72 points. They are in seventeenth place overall in the ECHL. They are in sixth place in the Western Conference. They are in fourth place in the Mountain Division. They are in a playoff spot. Tahoe are seven points into a playoff spot. They have secured the final playoff spot in the division. The Kansas City Mavericks, the Idaho Steelheads, the Allen Americans, and the Tahoe Knight Monsters have all secured playoff spots. Tahoe will finish the season in fourth place in the division. Third place in the division is out of reach. With four games remaining, Tahoe can secure up to eight more points. Tahoe can finish the season with up to 78 points.
The Tahoe Knight Monsters are playing the Allen Americans in game 69. This game will be on Friday, April 10th, 2026. The Game will take place at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center. The Tahoe Knight Monsters have four games remaining in the regular season.
Zac Electrifly 
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