2024-25 Playoffs Round One - Game Two Results

The Knights bounced back in a must-win situation, defeating the Thunderbirds 6–3 in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series. With the win, the second-seeded Knights evened the best-of-three series at one game apiece, forcing a decisive Game 3. The Knights set the tone early in the first period when Marty Witberg opened the scoring with a powerplay goal following a roughing penalty to Jeff Fleshner. The Thunderbirds responded through Anthony Theuer, who tied it up off a setup from Fleshner, but Witberg quickly reclaimed the lead for the Knights with his second of the period. The Knights were also tested on the penalty kill after a delay of game call on Brian Smith, but they held strong to close out the opening frame with a 2–1 lead.

In the second period, the Thunderbirds turned up the pressure, outshooting the Knights 10–6, but it was the Knights who made the most of their chances. Trei Cools scored twice—first from Witberg and later from Zeljko Sreckovic—to extend the Knights’ lead. Witberg completed his hat trick midway through the period on another Sreckovic assist, capping off a dominant stretch of offense. Theuer stopped the bleeding temporarily with his second goal of the night for the Thunderbirds, but Brendan Nienhaus was the story of the period, making several huge saves to preserve the lead. Fleshner added a charging penalty to his record, but the Thunderbirds managed to kill it off without further damage.
T
he third period was a battle of wills, as the Thunderbirds came out aggressive and once again outshot the Knights, this time 8–3. Theuer completed his hat trick to bring the Thunderbirds within two, but Witberg answered right back with his fourth goal of the game, putting the final nail in the coffin. Despite a 30–22 shot advantage over the course of the game, the Thunderbirds couldn’t solve Nienhaus when it counted most. Fleshner took his third penalty of the night with just 20 seconds remaining, ending a tough outing for the Thunderbirds' veteran forward.

With the series tied 1–1, everything comes down to Game 3 on April 12th, where the Knights will host the Thunderbirds in a winner-take-all showdown. The victor will move on to face the top-seeded Chargers in the finals. It’s sure to be an intense and emotional finish to a hard-fought series.

Three Stars of the Game:
 1st Star: Brendan Nienhaus (27 saves, standout performance in net)
 2nd Star: Tyler French (strong defensive presence, key shot blocks, and on-ice leadership)
 3rd Star: Trei Cools (2 goals, 1 assist)