The Kansas City Mavericks scored four first-period and second-period goals on their way to a 6-0 shutout victory over the Florida Everblades in Game 1 of the 2026 Kelly Cup Finals on Friday night at Cable Dahmer Arena.
In front of a standing-room only crowd of 5,704 fans, Kansas City wasted little time establishing control of the series. Jakov Novak opened the scoring at 9:34 of the first period with a goal from the top of the crease, redirecting a shot past Everblades goaltender Cam Johnson. Hudson Wilson doubled the lead just two minutes later with a wrist shot from the right-wing circle.
The Mavericks continued their offensive onslaught in the second period. Jack Randl made it 3-0 at 2:11 with a fourth postseason goal, assisted by Jackson Jutting. Luke Loheit added another goal at 12:10 from the right-wing circle, marking his fifth of the playoffs. Landon McCallum and Jimmy Glynn then struck in a 38-second span, giving Kansas City a commanding 6-0 lead heading into the third.
Goaltender Jack LaFontaine was stellar in net, stopping all 15 shots he faced to improve his postseason record to 7-1. The 15 shots faced were tied for the fewest in a game in Riley/Kelly Cup Finals history.
Florida struggled to generate offense all night, outshot 34-15 overall. The Mavericks controlled the tempo and limited the Everblades to just two shots in the first period, a key factor in their lopsided victory.
With the win, Kansas City takes a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. The Mavericks have now won four of their last five playoff games, while Florida must regroup quickly after its worst playoff performance of the year.
Game 2 is set for Saturday at 6:05 p.m. CT at Cable Dahmer Arena. The series will shift to Florida for the next three games, beginning with Game 3 on Wednesday.
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