The Tahoe Knight Monsters roared into their first Kelly Cup Playoffs with authority, sweeping the Wichita Thunder 4–0 in a commanding first-round performance. Tahoe dominated every facet of the series—outscoring Wichita 22–8, outshooting them 172–126, and showcasing depth, special teams excellence, and clutch play under pressure.
Led by offensive standouts Jett Jones, Simon Pinard, Logan Nelson, Patrick Newell, and backstopped by the poised Jesper Vikman, the Knight Monsters overwhelmed Wichita with relentless pressure and timely scoring.
Game 1 – Tahoe Rolls Past Wichita with Second-Period Explosion
INTRUST Bank Arena | April 19, 2025
Final: Tahoe 6, Wichita 1
Shots: TAH 24, WIC 33 | PP: TAH 4/7, WIC 0/2
Tahoe opened the scoring at 4:25 of the first period when Bear Hughes converted a power-play goal from Simon Pinard and Sloan Stanick. In the second, Tahoe broke the game open. Jett Jones scored just 2:26 into the period off a feed from Nate Kallen. Jones then struck again at 9:31 with a power-play goal, assisted by Isaac Johnson and Patrick Newell, making it 3–0.
Wichita got on the board shortly after when Joe Carroll scored at 9:45, but Tahoe responded quickly. Jones completed his hat trick at 14:41 on another power play, with helpers from Stanick and Brennan Kapcheck. He wasn’t done — at 16:36, Jones scored his fourth of the night, assisted by Luke Adam and Joe Fleming. Tahoe capped the period with a fourth power-play goal at 19:57, as Logan Nelson finished off a setup from Newell and Johnson to make it 6–1.
Three Stars of the Game
- Jett Jones (TAH) – 4G
- Jesper Vikman (TAH) – 32 saves
- Isaac Johnson (TAH) – 2A
Game 2 – Tahoe Unleashes Five-Goal Third Period to Bury Wichita
INTRUST Bank Arena | April 20, 2025
Final: Tahoe 8, Wichita 1
Shots: TAH 44, WIC 30 | PP: TAH 1/3, WIC 0/3
Wichita opened the scoring midway through the first period when Dillon Boucher found the net, assisted by Dominic Dockery and Jake Wahlin. But Tahoe answered before the period ended, with Jackson Fleming tying it at 18:08, thanks to setups from Jett Jones and Brennan Kapcheck. Early in the second, Luke Adam capitalized on the power play at 3:34, giving Tahoe a 2–1 lead off assists from Kallen and Johnson. Late in the second, Patrick Newell extended the lead to 3–1, with Logan Nelson and Artur Cholach picking up the assists.
The third period belonged entirely to Tahoe. Isaac Johnson scored at 1:26, assisted by Nelson. At 2:57, Simon Pinard finished a feed from Stanick and Kallen. Logan Nelson scored at 4:09, assisted by Linden Alger, and just 55 seconds later, Jake McGrew struck again, with Adam and Kallen adding assists. Finally, Fleming added his second goal at 16:41, with Jones recording the helper, as Tahoe finished with five goals in the third alone.
Three Stars of the Game
- Ian Johnson (TAH) – 1G, 1A
- Luke Adam (TAH) – 1G, 1A
- Jackson Fleming (TAH) – 2G
Game 3 – Tahoe Rallies to Win Wild Overtime Thriller
Tahoe Blue Event Center | April 23, 2025
Final: Tahoe 5, Wichita 4 (OT)
Shots: TAH 65, WIC 36 | PP: TAH 3/4, WIC 1/3
Tahoe struck first at 7:17 of the opening period, as Isaac Johnson buried a feed from Logan Nelson.
Wichita responded with a flurry — Ryan Finnegan tied it at 13:33 with assists from Jay Dickman and Joe Carroll, and just over a minute later, Michal Stinil gave the Thunder their first lead at 14:41, assisted by Kobe Walker. In the second, Tahoe tied the game at 13:04 when Simon Pinard scored a power-play goal, set up by Brennan Kapcheck and Sloan Stanick. However, Wichita regained the lead late in the period as Carroll scored his second of the series on the power play at 17:56, assisted by Peter Bates and Stinil.
Early in the third, Wichita extended the lead to 4–2 when Spencer Blackwell cashed in at 1:32 off assists from Luke Grainger and Mitchell Russell. Refusing to go quietly, Tahoe battled back. Pinard scored his second of the night at 6:10, assisted again by Kapcheck and Stanick. Tahoe leveled the game at 16:38 when Patrick Newell ripped a power-play goal past Trevor Gorsuch, with Johnson and Nelson assisting.
In overtime, Tahoe overwhelmed Wichita with 11–1 shot advantage. The winning goal came at 6:59, when Logan Nelson buried a cross-ice pass from Pinard and Kapcheck, giving Tahoe a thrilling come-from-behind win.
Jesper Vikman made clutch saves during regulation and stood tall in overtime, allowing Tahoe to complete one of their gutsiest wins of the season.
Three Stars of the Game
- Logan Nelson (TAH) – 1G (OTW), 2A
- Simon Pinard (TAH) – 2G, 1A
- Patrick Newell (TAH) – 1G (Game-tying PPG)
Game 4 – Tahoe Completes Sweep with Late Rally
Tahoe Blue Event Center | April 25, 2025
Final: Tahoe 3, Wichita 2
Shots: TAH 39, WIC 27 | PP: TAH 0/6, WIC 0/2
Tahoe opened the scoring at 12:39 of the first period when Adrien Bisson hammered home a loose puck, assisted by Evan Junker and Logan Nelson. Wichita tied it up midway through the second, with Spencer Blackwell scoring off a broken play at 15:33. Less than three minutes later, Joe Carroll gave Wichita a 2–1 lead, assisted by Nolan Kneen and Jay Dickman.
Facing a deficit heading into the third, Tahoe turned the game with relentless pressure. Bear Hughes tied the game at 9:07, finishing a perfect pass from Jett Jones and Simon Pinard. Then, with under three minutes remaining, Patrick Newell buried the series-winner at 17:16, taking a feed from Kallen. Jesper Vikman then shut the door in the final minute to complete the sweep.
Jesper Vikman made key stops in the final minute as Wichita pulled the goalie for an extra attacker, preserving the sweep and sending the home crowd into celebration.
Three Stars of the Game
- Patrick Newell (TAH) – 1G (GWG)
- Bear Hughes (TAH) – 1G
- Jesper Vikman (TAH) – 25 saves
Series Summary
| Stat | Result |
|---|---|
| Series Result | Tahoe wins 4–0 |
| Total Goals | Tahoe 22 – Wichita 8 |
| Total Shots | Tahoe 172 – Wichita 126 |
| Power Play | Tahoe 8/20 (40%), Wichita 2/11 (18%) |
| Penalty Kill | Tahoe 9/11 (81.8%), Wichita 12/20 (60.0%) |
Top Performers – Tahoe Knight Monsters
Jett Jones: 4G, 3A – Scored early and often.
Simon Pinard: 5G, 3A – Huge goals in key moments.
Logan Nelson: 3G, 4A – Overtime hero, consistent two-way play.
Patrick Newell: 3G, 2A – Two clutch game-winning goals.
Jesper Vikman: 4-0-0, .927 SV%, 1.98 GAA – Calm and composed anchor.
Up Next
The Tahoe Knight Monsters advance to the Mountain Division Final, where they will face the winner of the series between the Kansas City Mavericks and the Tulsa Oilers. Regardless of opponent, Tahoe will have home-ice advantage and open the series at Tahoe Blue Event Center. Game dates and times will be announced once the matchup is finalized.
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