One team clinches a division, while another earns its 40th win of the 2024-25 season.
Here are three takeaways from Wednesday night in the ECHL.
KC Clinches Mountain Division
It was a night of milestones at Cable Dahmer Arena Wednesday. The Kansas City Mavericks clinched the Mountain Division title, celebrated a first pro goal, and welcomed back a familiar face in a dominant 5-0 shutout win over the Rapid City Rush.
Jack LaFontaine earned his fourth shutout of the season, stopping all 25 shots he faced as the Mavericks recorded their seventh team shutout.
After a scoreless first period, Cade Borchardt, playing in his first game back from Coachella Valley, opened the scoring at 6:39 of the second, finishing a feed from Casey Carreau and Jimmy Glynn.
Just over three minutes later, Nathan Dunkley doubled the lead at 9:46, set up by David Cotton and Justin MacPherson.
Then at 16:20, it was Glynn’s moment, as the rookie forward netted his first professional goal, assisted by Borchardt and Carreau.
In the third, the Mavericks kept their foot on the gas. Borchardt added his second of the game at 5:50, with Carreau and Glynn picking up assists. Dunkley capped the scoring at 11:56, firing home his second goal of the night off a passing play from Borchardt and Marcus Crawford.
The win improves Kansas City to 45-17-5 on the season and officially locks them into the top seed in the Mountain Division with the Kelly Cup Playoffs just around the corner.
Hail To Captain Deveaux
The Maine Mariners are on a bit of a roll. They won their third straight game Wednesday with a 4-1 home victory over the Trois-Rivieres Lions.
The Mariners cruised to the win on the back of their captain, Wyllum Deveaux, who scored two power-play goals and added an assist over the North Division leaders.
The Lions scored first at 11:54 of the opening period, breaking a six-game run where the Mariners had scored first.
Maine bounced back, using the power play to tie things up at 17:09. After Jacob Hudson worked one to the front of the net, Deveaux scooped up the rebound and put one up top to tie the game.
The Mariners had the go-ahead goal waived off early in the second period, when Xander Lamppa's rebound goal was reversed for goaltender interference. Despite that, they scored three times in the final 7:25 of the period to seize control of the game.
At 12:35, Deveaux tallied his second goal of the game, coming once again on the power play. He deflected Tristan Thompson's shot past Luke Cavallin.
Just 1:15 later, defenseman Alex Sheehy, playing in his first game since Feb. 15, came down the right wing and snuck in a shot, landing just across the goal line to make it 3-1 Maine.
In the final minute of the period, the Mariners added one more, with Chase Zieky tipping in Thompson's shot with 45 seconds to go, and the 4-1 score held up the rest of the game.
Icemen Reach The Big 4O
The Jacksonville Icemen picked up their 40th win of the season with a 4-3 victory in Greenville against the Swamp Rabbits.
Trailing by one in the middle frame, Jacksonville scored three straight goals to overtake the Swamp Rabbits. The Icemen reach the 40+ win mark for the fourth consecutive season.
The three straight goals ...
