The Kansas City Mavericks season ends with a first-round exit of the Kelly Cup Playoffs, losing to the Allen Americans. Despite the Maverick’s rocky start, they finished the season with a record of 34-30-6-2, putting them third in the Mountain Division. They had a somewhat better record than the previous year, where they went 32-33-5-2, finishing 6th in the division. But this team, despite the rocky start of the season, was hungry to be the team that wins the Kelly Cup this year.
Why Did Kansas City Get First Rounded in the Playoffs?
One of the problems that the Kansas City Mavericks lacked in the playoffs was to capitalize on the man advantage. They were also turning the puck over in their zone, or they were not getting it past the faceoff circle without turning it over or missing a pass. Despite not getting past the first round of the playoffs, the Mavericks had a challenging task with Allen Americans and their stud of a goalie in Kevin Mandolese, who spent most of the season with the Belleville Senators in the AHL.
Top Performers
From the players and coaches, despite the call-ups to Coach Valley Firebirds, the Mavericks had a few outstanding players that stood out. The Mavericks had five different goalies between the pipes this season, but the two main ones are Shane Starrett and Dillion Kelley. Starrett was the primary goalie for the Mavericks this season, holding a record of 24-21-4-1 with a save percentage of .913. Starrett broke the record for the Mavericks with the most games played between the pipes. Starrett was one of the critical players in why the Mavericks made the playoffs this year. Starrett finished the playoffs with stats of 2.16 GAA and a .930 SV.
Some players that stood out were Forward Pascal Laberge leading the team in points and assists. When Laberge was on the ice, his line was more likely scoring. His leadership on this team, despite not being a captain or an alternate, was effective for this team. Laberage finished second in goals with 21, finishing behind team captain Nick Pastujov that finished with 22 goals.
The next player I will mention that might throw a few people off that stood out is forward Hugo Roy. Where do I start this man, Hugo was a hustle machine out there for the Mavericks this season. The Quebec native played in 64 out of 72 games this season, the eight games he missed were because he was injured, but besides that, Hugo was always around the puck no matter where it was on the ice. Whenever the puck was on Hugo’s stick, he always looked for good opportunities for his team. Hugo finished off second in points for the Mavericks with 44 points (18G,26A).
The last player I will mention might sound biased because he has been my favorite since signing with the Mavericks in the 18-19 season is defense/ forward Loren Ulett. Loren was the guy on the ice that if you touched one of his teammates, he would make you pay for it. Despite the injury, Ulett had, he was always on the ice enforcing the law and protecting his teammates the best he could. Ulett finished the season with 19pts (7G,12A), then one goal in the playoffs.
TO End it Off
Although it wasn’t the ending the Kansas City Mavericks or their fans wanted, it was the one for the books, from the rough start and injuries at the beginning of the season to finishing 3rd in their division. This season was a rollercoaster ride for the Mavericks organization and their fan base. The Mavericks improved their team for the playoff push toward the end of the season. But despite that, this team could be a contender for the Kelly Cup over the next few seasons.
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