The Kansas City Mavericks met the Utah Grizzlies at Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, Missouri. This game marked the seventh meeting of the season between the two teams, with the Mavericks having won four of the previous six encounters. Jack LaFontaine started in net for the Mavericks, boasting a 2.14 goals against average (GAA) and a 0.917 save percentage (SV%) going into Friday night’s game.
First Period
The first goal came for the Mavericks three and a half minutes into the period on a rebound by Justin MacPherson, marking his seventh goal and 27th point of the season. Around five minutes later, Reed Lebster lit the lamp with an assist from Cole Gallant, tying the score at 1-1. Despite the Grizzlies outshooting the Mavericks 10 to 6, neither team managed to score for the remainder of the period.
Second Period
The second period got off to a slower start, with the first goal not arriving until nine minutes in. A short-handed goal was credited to the Grizzlies’ Lincoln Erne after a wayward puck bounced off Mavericks’ Jack LaFontaine’s stick and crossed the goal line, giving the Grizzlies the lead. The Mavericks rallied hard and were able to even the score at 16:30 with a goal by David Cotton, assisted by Justin MacPherson and Damien Giroux. The score at the end of the period was tied 2-2.
Third Period
The lone goal of the third period came at 15:01 from the Grizzlies’ Matt Araujo, assisted by Cooper Jones and Cole Gallant. Despite the Mavericks pulling their goaltender and outshooting their opponent 13-7, the Grizzlies clinched a 3-2 victory.
Summary
The Mavericks were 0/3 on the power play but successfully shut down all four of the Grizzlies’ power play opportunities. Mavericks’ goaltender Jack LaFontaine stopped 20 of 23 shots, while Jake Barczewski stopped 37 of 39 shots to secure the victory for the Grizzlies. Despite Friday night’s loss, the Mavericks still maintain first place in the Mountain Division standings and first place in the Western Conference with a one-point advantage over the Toledo Walleye. The Mavericks return to action Saturday night with an away game against the Wichita Thunder.
Three Stars of the Game
- Utah Grizzlies – Matt Araujo
- Kansas City – Justin MacPherson
- Utah Grizzlies – Reed Lebster
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