Playoff Lights On: Four thoughts as the Knight Monsters Get Set for a Clash With Wichita

“Nothing but a deep run would be coming short for this team with how deep we are with our roster, we’re primed for it.”

Those are the words of Anthony Collins, who is preparing for his first playoff appearance in a decade. Now, both he and the Tahoe Knight Monsters are gearing up for their first-ever trip to the Kelly Cup Playoffs, which begin this weekend against the Wichita Thunder.

Tahoe wrapped up its inaugural regular season with an impressive 41-25-4-2 record, securing third place in the Mountain Division. But momentum wasn’t on their side to close the campaign — they were swept in three straight home games by the Thunder, the very team they’ll now face in the opening round.

The postseason, however, marks a clean slate. Playoff hockey is a different animal, and as the Knight Monsters head to Wichita, they have a chance to flip the script against a team that’s had their number all year.

With all that being said, let's break down this first-round series. Here’s my four thoughts ahead of Tahoe’s trip to Thunder country for the first two games of this playoff run.

Wichita is now a familiar foe for Tahoe

The Thunder are one of just two Mountain Division teams to finish the regular season with a winning record against the Knight Monsters. Last weekend’s three-game sweep on Tahoe’s home ice sealed the season series, with Wichita taking it 4-1-0-1 and outscoring the Knight Monsters 30-23 across six games.

It’s a challenging draw for Tahoe to open its first playoff run, but the final scores from last week’s games didn’t tell the full story. And across the season series, five of the six meetings were decided by two goals or less. 

So throw out the final scores from the regular season, what matters now is what comes next.

“I thought we were the better team in terms of scoring chances — I thought we carried play over three games,” said head coach Alex Loh. “We did enough good things to win those games. Now it’s just a matter of buttoning up a few things here and there.”

One of those adjustments? Managing Wichita’s speed on the rush.

The Thunder scored six goals in transition last week (of 11 total), consistently exploiting open space down the length of the ice. Several of those chances came after Tahoe defenders overcommitted in the offensive zone, leading to turnovers and breakaways the other way.

The silver lining is that last week’s series provides a blueprint heading into the playoffs. 

“We’re familiar with their game, we know what to expect from a team like that,” said veteran forward Luke Adam. “They’re very offensive, very skilled… we need to limit their chances on the rush and take advantage of our own.”

Tahoe also did a good job handling Wichita’s star forwards, with Peter Bates, Michal Stinil, Kobe Walker and Jay Dickman combining for just two goals at 5v5 play. We saw Alex Loh send out his third line, centered by Jett Jones, out against those players to solid results.

“I thought Jett did a great job of locking down that line along with his linemates, and then Bear Hughes, Simon Pinard, and Stanick, they’re not going to give up anything either,” said Loh. “No matter who ends up going against those guys, I think they can handle it.”

Isaac Johnson’s return couldn’t come at a better time

Before going down with an injury on April 5 in Utah, Isaac Johnson was heating up at the right time. Over a four-game stretch, he tallied three goals, two assists, and 12 shots on goal.

Johnson’s absence was felt immediately last weekend against Wichita. Without his ability to generate offense or draw penalties late in games, the Knight Monsters lacked a key spark in critical moments.

“He’s one of those dangerous guys that is up there with the kid line from Henderson that can make something happen out of nothing,” said Loh. “He can make a play out of nowhere, he can score, so anytime you have a guy like that in the lineup, it’s going to make them think about it a little bit more.”

Johnson is also one of just three players on Tahoe’s roster with extensive ECHL playoff experience, with both he and Brennan Kapcheck playing major roles in back-to-back two deep playoff runs with the Newfoundland Growlers in 2022 and 2023. Logan Nelson rounds out that trio with a 2022 trip the playoffs while a member of the Rapid City Rush. 

Johnson has 26 points in 33 career Kelly Cup Playoff games, including nine goals and 10 points in first-round matchups alone. In last year’s opening-round sweep of Adirondack, he recorded points in all four games, including two goals and four assists.

In a locker room that doesn’t have too much ECHL playoff experience, Johnson stands out. And against a team in Wichita with just 11 total playoff games across their roster, his playoff prowess could be a factor that tips the scales in tight moments. 

“Right now he’s on track to be ready for game one, which is perfect, that was the hope all along,” said Loh. “Hopefully he can jump right back in the mix here and be good for us.”

Tahoe’s special teams will be crucial

Over the final nine games of the regular season, the Knight Monsters' power play sputtered, converting just 4 of 44 opportunities (9%). The penalty kill wasn’t much better, allowing 13 goals on 35 chances — an uncharacteristic 63% kill rate.

Those numbers are an anomaly for what Tahoe has shown for most of the year. Through the first 63 games, their power play hovered near the 20% mark, while the penalty kill was consistently above 80%. 

Lately, discipline has been an issue. The Knight Monsters have averaged 3.88 penalties per game over the final stretch — up significantly from 2.87 earlier in the season — and the extra time playing shorthanded has taken its toll.

But there are reasons to be optimistic about the special teams going forward. 

Simon Pinard scored a power play goal against the Thunder in game two of the series last week, his first since early January against the Maine Mariners. And having Johnson’s vision and creativity in the mix will make Tahoe’s power play even more dangerous.

And even though Tahoe only scored once on the man advantage, they were dominant on every chance. They won faceoffs, cycled the puck with precision, created dangerous opportunities, and controlled possession. Essentially, they did everything but score. 

“Everything is amplified, everything is more intense, every little detail matters,” said Collins. “We’re looking to have perfect games to get wins because we know it's going to be super tight.”

On the penalty kill, the Knight Monsters showed flashes of their usual form against the Thunder, killing four of five power plays. They were aggressive and relentless in the defensive zone, and even generated a handful of shorthanded chances.

“Playoff hockey comes down to being good on special teams, limiting mistakes, and taking advantage of the other teams' mistakes,” said Knight Monsters Captain Luke Adam.

The moment is not too big 

All season long, the Knight Monsters have defied expectations. 

In a stacked Mountain Division field, Tahoe not only stayed afloat, but thrived against tough competition. From the opening weekend when they went toe-to-toe with Jacksonville, it became clear very quickly that they weren’t interested in having a slow start.

“Being competitive with Jacksonville right off the bat is always a good sign, I knew they were a good team from my time in Savannah the past couple of years,” said Loh. “If you can hang with those types of teams, then you know you can pretty much play with anybody.”

That early test set the tone for a regular season filled with statement wins and big moments- over Idaho, KC, Tulsa, Florida, and more. Tahoe not only proved that they belonged, but that they are a team built for the playoffs.

This is a deep roster. With four forward lines that can take over a shift, six rock-solid blueliners that can clamp things down on defense and jump into the attack when needed, and two of the best netminders in the division, Tahoe boasts one of the most complete lineups in the ECHL.

I expect Jesper Vikman to get the first crack at Wichita in the playoffs, with Jordan Papirny in the wings in case things go sideways. He was sharp down the stretch, with a 7-5-0-1 record, 2.76 Goals Allowed Average, and a .904 Save Percentage in 13 games. 

This is going to be a tight series, because playoff hockey rarely offers anything else. Tahoe will have to play their best hockey to take down the Thunder, and they are more than capable of doing just that. 

“To go in with this group with the effort that we put in all year long and how tight this group is, it's really exciting,” said Collins. 

Are the Thunder the only mountain team that Tahoe has not defeated multiple times? Yes they are. And yes, they do match up well against the Knight Monsters with their top-end scoring and strong goaltending to back it up.

But Tahoe’s depth factor, combined with their leadership and prowess when the lights shine the brightest is what sets them apart. All that's left is to take care of business.

It all starts Saturday night, in Wichita.