Silver Knights clinch playoff spot on Bowman’s late winner in 5-4 win over Tucson
The Henderson Silver Knights are headed back to the Calder Cup playoffs, and they made it official with a finish that felt like a postseason rehearsal. Henderson clinched its first playoff berth since 2022 with a 5-4 win over the Tucson Roadrunners on Saturday, April 4, at Lee’s Family Forum in front of 3,675.
Braeden Bowman drove the clincher with 2 goals and 2 assists, capped by the game-winner at 19:44 of the third period. Dylan Coghlan scored the tying goal with 1:26 left, and Henderson closed it before Tucson could reset.
Early punches, quick answers
Tucson opened the scoring at 7:06 of the first when Daniil but scored his 18th. Henderson answered on its only power play as Raphael Lavoie buried his 25th at 10:22, with Trevor Connelly and Matyas Sapovaliv picking up the assists.
The Roadrunners went back in front at 13:43 on Austin Poganski’s 22nd, but Henderson tied it again at 15:11 when Jonas Rondbjerg scored his 13th off feeds from Bowman and Jeremy Davies. The first period ended 2-2, and the tone was set.
Bowman puts Henderson in front
The second period tightened, but Henderson still found a way to create separation. Bowman scored at 15:54 for his eighth, finishing a play set up by Jakub Brabenec and Mitch McLain to send Henderson into the third with a 3-2 lead.
Tucson finished with a 29-27 edge in shots on goal, but Henderson steadied after an 11-5 first period. The Silver Knights outshot Tucson 22-18 over the final 40 minutes, and the game stayed within reach when it mattered.
Tucson makes it tense
Sammy Walker tied it 3-3 at 6:04 of the third, then struck again at 14:13 for his 12th to push Tucson ahead 4-3. The Roadrunners had the momentum, and Henderson had to chase the game in the final minutes.
That is where the Silver Knights played with urgency, and the building followed. Henderson did not need perfect shifts, but it needed answers, and it kept coming.
The last two minutes belonged to Henderson
Coghlan tied it 4-4 at 18:34 with his 14th, finishing a sequence created by Bowman and Lavoie. Before the arena could settle, Henderson found the winner with 16 seconds left.
Bowman scored his ninth at 19:44 off assists from Sapovaliv and Coghlan. The goal put a stamp on a night where Henderson’s top end delivered when the game demanded it.
The numbers that mattered
Henderson went 1-for-1 on the power play and killed its lone penalty. Carl Lindbom made 25 saves on 29 shots, while Tucson’s Michael Hrabal stopped 22 of 27.
Bowman, Rondbjerg and Coghlan were named the game’s three stars. Henderson now heads into the stretch run with a playoff spot secured and proof it can execute under late pressure.
Looking ahead: Henderson’s surge is real, and the numbers back it up
Saturday’s clincher was the headline, but Henderson’s playoff case has been building for weeks. The Silver Knights improved to 35-20-7-4 with the win, have gone 8-1-1-0 over their last 10 games, and are riding a three-game winning streak.
The profile is balanced. Henderson has scored 238 goals and allowed 204, and special teams have been a steady edge with a 25.54% power play (59-for-231) and a 78.95% penalty kill (40-for-190).
If you’re new to this team, start with the leaders. Tanner Laczynski (21-42-63) has been the engine, while Lavoie (25-23-48) brings finishing that changes games, including Saturday’s power-play answer in the first.
The blue line has chipped in too. Lukas Cormier (8-39-47) has been a key creator from the back end, and Ben Hemmerling (21-25-46) and Kai Uchacz (16-29-45) round out a group that gives Henderson multiple lines that can tilt a period.
Up Next: Henderson at Coachella Valley
The Silver Knights visit the Coachella Valley Firebirds at 6:30 p.m. PDT Wednesday, April 8, at Acrisure Arena. Henderson is 4-2-1-0 against Coachella Valley this season, and it has already posted statement wins in the matchup, including a 6-2 home win on Feb. 26 and a 5-1 road win on March 4.
It’s also a meeting of two hot teams. Henderson enters at 8-1-1-0 over its last 10, while Coachella Valley is 8-2-0-0, and both clubs are carrying momentum into the final week of the regular season.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
