Mavericks split first two playoff games

by Bill Althaus, Grain Valley News

​When goaltender Jack LaFontaine and forward Cade Borchardt are on their A Game, the Kansas City Mavericks are a tough team to handle.

Just ask the Tulsa Oilers.

LaFontaine stood tall in the net Saturday night as the Mavericks needed an overtime period to beat the Tulsa Oilers 3-2 Saturday night at Cable Dahmer Arena.

The Oilers defeated Kansas City 4-2 in Friday night's opening round of postseason play, which magnified the importance of Saturday night's come-from-behind victory.

Borchardt, who led the ECHL with 40 goals during the regular season, scored both goals in regulation with the game-tying goal coming with just 1:13 left in the third period.

Marcus Crawford scored the game winner at 2:51 of the 20-minute overtime period that featured five vs. five skaters on the ice.

“Jack can go unappreciated sometimes because he is such a great goaltender,” said Borchardt, who scored his first goal at 14:18 of the first period.

“You expect great things from him, and he delivers game in and game out. We lost that tough (4-2) game Friday night (with the fourth goal coming after LaFontaine left the ice for a sixth attacker), and Laffer comes back and inspires all of us with the way he played tonight.

“He's been the best goalie in the league (during the regular season) and he's the best in the playoffs. We wouldn't be here tonight without Laffer.”

LaFontaine stopped 29 of 31 shots on goal and drew praise from coach Tad O'Had.

“The guys played great in front of Laffer because he plays great every night,” O'Had said. “We lost a tough game Friday night, and Jack was part of the solution tonight. You know what you're going to get from Jack every night and he just got stronger as the game went on.”

The score was 1-1 after the first period and Tulsa took a 2-1 lead at 15:47 of the second period when the puck kicked off Jimmy Mazza's skate and caromed to Drew Elliott, who scored his third goal of the series.

“We knew we were going to win this game,” Borchardt said. “It was 2-1 for a while, but we tied it up late and we knew we were going to win in overtime.

Borchardt's game-tying goal came off a shot by Casey Carreau, with Borchardt standing in front of the net.

“It was head's up for Casey to get that shot off,” Borchardt added. “I was in the right place at the right time.”

The Mavericks now head to Oklahoma, where they will play three games against the Oilers April 22, 24 and 25.

If a sixth game is necessary, the two teams return to Cable Dahmer Arena April 28.

“We would have liked to have won both games, but this is not a first-team-to-win two game series,” the coach said. “It's a best-of-seven series and we need to go to Tulsa and play like we did on the road during the regular season – where we were very successful.”

And LaFontaine will be ready to go Tuesday.

“We get a few days off, we play well on the road, so we're all excited,” LaFontaine said. “The playoffs are like a mosaic – some parts aren't pretty and some parts are beautiful.

“Tonight was beautiful! The guys did a great job, our defense was oustanding and Borch and Crawford got those big goals. We're excited about hitting the road and going to Tulsa.

Tulsa 4, Kansas City 2 The Mavericks took a 2-0 lead into Friday night's opening playoff game, only to see the Oilers score four goals in the third period to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Nate Knoepke opened the scoring with a slap shot at 1:16, finishing off a clean setup from Borchardt and Carreau.

Less than four minutes later, Kansas City extended the lead. Damien Giroux redirected a bouncing puck at 5:08, with Landon McCallum and Knoepke assisting on the play. The Mavericks carried a 2-0 lead into the third period.

Tulsa, however, flipped the momentum just 15 seconds into the final frame.  Elliott scored to make it 2-1, and the Oilers kept pushing. Goals from Reid Petryk and Alec Butcher in a 31-second span midway through the period gave Tulsa a 3-2 advantage. Elliott added an empty-net goal at 19:44 to close it out.

​LaFontaine had 23 saves in the game.

The Kansas City Mavericks mob goaltender Jack LaFontaine after he starred in the net of Saturday night's 3-2 overtime win over the Tulsa Oilers to even the their Mountain Division semifinal series 1-1. The series moves to Tulsa for three games, beginning Tuesday night. Photo courtesy the Kansas City Mavericks

Damien Giroux, left, congratulates Marcus Crawford after he scored the game-winning goal to give the Kansas City Mavericks at 3-2 overtime win over the Tulsa Oilers Saturday night at Cable Dahmer Arena. Photo courtesy the Kansas City Mavericks