Tahoe forward Logan Nelson gets high-fives from the bench after scoring one of his two goals Wednesday during the Knight Monsters’ 5-1 win over Idaho. Nelson has 17 goals this season alongside 29 assists.
Photo by Ron Harpin.
The Tahoe Knight Monsters (39-20-4, 83 points) are back at home this weekend for the remaining three games of a four-game series against the Idaho Steelheads (32-22-8, 73 points).
Tahoe opened up the series Wednesday with a 5-1 win, tallying five unanswered goals after falling behind 1-0.
Logan Nelson buried the first two while Sloan Stanick tallied a goal and an assist to add to his team-high point total of 69.
Wednesday’s win is the fifth in a row for the Knight Monsters after sweeping two two-game road series each of the last two weekends.
After Wednesday’s win, the Knight Monsters boast an 8-1-1 record (W-L-OTL) over their last 10 games.
The first two-game set came against Idaho, Tahoe’s opponent this weekend.
The Knight Monsters bested the Steelheads in both games, 2-1 and 4-0.
Simon Pinard and Stanick both recorded a goal and an assist in the shutout win.
On March 21-22, the Knight Monsters were on the road against the Mountain Division’s fourth-place team, the Tulsa Oilers (34-21-5, 76 points).
Nelson scored twice in the game one win. Bear Hughes scored the first goal in game two, dishing out an assist on the second, in a 2-1 win.
Jordan Papirny made 36 saves on 37 shots in the 2-1 victory, bringing his season save percentage to a team-best .922.
Tulsa sits in fourth place in the Western Conference’s Mountain Division.
MOUNTAIN STANDINGS
Tahoe is heating up at the right time and has jumped into second place in the Western Conference’s Mountain Division.
With the top four teams in the Mountain Division making the postseason — which begins April 16 — the Knight Monsters are on the verge of solidifying a postseason spot.
With Friday, Saturday and Sunday home games against the fifth-place Steelheads, Tahoe could punch its ticket to the postseason with a few more wins.
The Kansas City Mavericks (42-17-4, 89 points) are still in first place in the Mountain Division, while the Wichita Thunder (36-21-6, 79 points) are now behind Tahoe in third. Tahoe and Wichita will play a three-game set to conclude the regular season.
COMING UP
Saturday, Sunday: Idaho Steelheads (32-22-8, 73 points) at Tahoe (39-20-4, 83 points)
April 4-5: Tahoe at Utah Grizzlies (21-36-6, 50 points)
April 9, 11, 12: Wichita Thunder (36-21-6, 79 points) at Tahoe
(Knight Monster defenseman Artur Colach (49) fires a shot against Idaho on Wednesday. Colach, who tallied an assist in the win, has seven goals and 15 assists this season. / Ron Harpin)