INDEPENDENCE, MO — The Kansas City Mavericks secured their second win in as many nights, defeating the Allen Americans 2-1 in front of a sellout crowd of 5,798 at Cable Dahmer Arena for First Responder’s Night. With the victory, General Manager and Head Coach Tad O’Had is now just two wins away from becoming the Mavericks’ all-time winningest coach.
The Mavericks wasted no time getting on the board, striking early with Damien Giroux scoring at 4:40, assisted by David Cotton and Landon McCallum. Just over two minutes later, Max Andreev doubled the lead at 6:55, finishing a feed from Casey Carreau to give Kansas City a 2-0 advantage.
After a scoreless second period, Allen cut the deficit in half at 8:04 of the third, when Mark Duarte found the back of the net, assisted by J.C. Brassard and Miko Matikka. The Americans ramped up the pressure in the closing minutes, outshooting the Mavericks 17-9 in the final frame, but Jack LaFontaine sealed the victory with an unbelievable save in the dying moments, securing the win for Kansas City.
The night was particularly special for David Cotton, who played in his 200th professional game, marking a milestone moment in his career.
LaFontaine was stellar in net, stopping 26 of 27 shots, while Luke Richardson made 36 saves on 38 shots in goal for Allen.
With the win, Kansas City remains in first place in the Mountain Division and will now shift their focus to their upcoming series against the Utah Grizzlies, which begins on Wednesday with a 7:05 PM puck drop at Cable Dahmer Arena.
