Elite League round-up

Braehead Clan 2 Belfast Giants 6

It’s now nine straight losses for the home team as they search for that elusive win to try and get their season back on track before its too late. As for the Giants it was sweet revenge for them as the last time the team met it was the Clan who came away with a 6-2 score line. The game was actually closer than it looks with the difference being in the second period when the hosts failed twice on a 5 on 3 powerplay and the visitors scored four.

Belfast took the honours with the only goal of the first period scored by Andrew Fournier at 9.02 this was to be his first of a hat trick on the night.

The Clan started the second period with a 5 on 3 and failed to make it count. Then at 25.19 the Giants with a man advantage doubled their lead with a strike from Noah Clark. The Clan pulled one back as Matt Hanson fired home at 26.00.

Having got themselves right back into the game the Clan got another 5 on 3 in the 27th minute and again failed to make it count. And got punished big time as the Giants scored two in less than a minute Brock Matheson netted at 29.55 and Fournier with his second at 30.53. Belfast added a fifth at 35.09 as Darryl Lloyd found the net. The Clan got some consolation out of the period as Matt Haywood scored at 37.44.

Only the one goal in the third period and it came the way of the visitors as Fournier completed his hat trick at 45.45 to give the Giants the win and keep the pressure on Nottingham at the top of the table.

Coventry Blaze 4 Cardiff Devils 3

This was a huge result for Paul Thompson’s men in their quest to finish the season in fourth place. The game was tight throughout until Adam Henrich netted the game winner in the 58th minute for the Blaze to win by the odd goal in seven.

It was the visitors who struck first as Tyson Marsh netted on the powerplay at 9.00. The hosts got back on level terms with a powerplay goal of their own converted by Adam Henrich at 11.08. A second powerplay goal from the home side this time from Dustin Cameron at 14.31 gave the Blaze a one goal lead after the first period.

When Shea Guthrie netted at 25.01 on a delayed penalty call it looked like game over. However, the Devils had other ideas and hit two, 21 seconds apart to put the game back in the melting pot. Player/coach Gerad Adams got the first at 38.34 and then Max Birbraer netted at 38.55 to send the teams in level at the end of the second.

With all to play for neither team could find a way to goal that was until Henrich with his second of the game got the winner at 57.18. With 44 seconds remaining Cardiff pulled the goaltender but it was to no avail and the Blaze held on to take the points.

Hull Stingrays 5 Dundee Stars 3

In this crucial encounter in both league and conference, Hull maintained their recent form as they made it four straight wins and at the same time inflict an eighth straight road loss on the Stars.

The win for the Humberside team sees them off the bottom of the league for the first time since 15th December and at the same time send their opponents to the bottom of the standings, their worst position this season.

It was also a huge two points in the race for Conference title as Hull go four points clear of the Tayside team. Although, Dundee do have five games in hand – but as they say you must win them to make them count – time will tell.

The hosts got off to the perfect start as Dominic Osman put them in front with only 46 seconds on the clock. However, the visitors were back on level terms at 6.36 with a strike from Janis Ozolins. Stars player/coach Jeff Hutchins then put his team in front with a goal at 13.17 to give them a one goal lead at the end of the first session.

Stingrays got themselves level with the only goal of the second period at 29.24 as Matt Davies netted on the powerplay.

Dundee were ahead once again as Billy Bagron found the net at 47.29. After this the home side turned on the style as they hit three in less than three minutes. Leading by example player/coach Sylvain Cloutier tied the game up at 51.47. Then at 53.37 Davies with his second gave them a one goal lead and Jason Siverthorn got the insurance goal at 54.26 to give the Stingrays the huge two points.

Nottingham Panthers 2 Sheffield Steelers 0

After five games on the road including a triple header to Scotland last weekend, Nottingham were back on home ice against one of their biggest rivals the Sheffield Steelers. The Steel City men held Corey Neilson’s team to a single goal until Guillaume Lepine found the empty net in the last minute for the Panthers to chalk up win 16 out of their last 17, which includes 10 straight wins.

After a goalless first period when both teams had chances to get the opener it was the goaltenders who were earning there corn as they blocked anything that came there way.

The home side finally got the go ahead goal at 26.11 as David Clarke on the powerplay sent the home fans wild. This was to be the only goal of the period and it would be all to play for in the third.

Sheffield had more of the chances in the third period but they couldn’t find a way past Kowalski in the home net. The Panthers had a chance to make it a two goal game at 47.53 when they were awarded a penalty shot but Robert Lachowicz failed to convert. With 75 seconds remaining Steelers pulled goaltender DeCaro and 31 seconds later Lepine found the empty net to make it 2-0. With very little time remaining after this it was relativity easy for Kowalski to record his eighth shutout of the season.

Sunday March 10

Cardiff Devils 4 Sheffield Steelers 5

Steelers hit back from a 4-1 deficit to win by the odd goal in nine and inflict a sixth straight loss on Devils, who are now under some pressure from the surging Edinburgh Capitals for fifth spot in the standings.

It had been the perfect start for Steelers as Ashley Tait fired them ahead after only 19 seconds but that was a prelude to Devils seeming to take control and goals by Kenton Smith at 9.03 followed by player/coach Gerad Adams on the powerplay at 13.56 saw the hosts 2-1 ahead at the first period break.

Devils continued to take the play to Steelers and built a 4-1 lead thanks to strikes by Max Birbraer on a delayed penalty at 22.03 and Luke Piggott at 23.46, with this goal seeing Geoff Woolhouse replace John DeCaro in the visitors cage. Steelers needed a spark and got it with a shorthanded effort by Chris Frank at 30.08. This completely changed the momentum and two Steelers goals in the final minute of the period drew them level. First to score was Jeff Legue at 39.36 and then while shorthanded again only 19 seconds later Shawn Limpright made it 4-4.

Steelers’ comeback was completed by Limpright at 3.16 of the third period and shocked Devils were unable to comeback from this complete turnaround in the game to leave that single goal as the game winner in the end.

Dundee Stars 5 Fife Flyers 4

Three times Flyers led Stars by a goal in this massive league and conference match up but in the end a two-goal late scoring burst by the home side proved decisive as Stars took the points in the end.

The win moves Stars off the bottom of the league standings and into a Play-Off position but this eleventh road loss on the bounce for Flyers was perhaps an opportunity missed as they were never behind until the 57th minute.

Early goals for both sides saw Kris Hogg fire Flyers ahead at 6.35 but Tristan Harper tie it up at 7.39. A powerplay effort by Jason Pitton had Flyers 2-1 in the lead at 16.33 but once again the home side were level with a counter by Sami Ryhanen on the powerplay with 13 seconds of period one remaining.

The second session opened with Flyers hitting the front for a third time thanks to Bobby Chaumont at 22.20 and this time they held onto that advantage throughout the remainder of the period.

It was game on again when Stars player/coach Jeff Hutchins made it 3-3 at 41.32 and it then became very tense as both sides knew how important the next goal could well be. In fact it looked as if the game was destined to go to overtime until at 56.06 Janis Ozolins stepped up to shoot Stars into a 4-3 lead and at 57.12 Mike Wirll doubled that advantage to effectively kill off the Flyers challenge.

Casey Haines did pull one back for Flyers with only 33 seconds remaining with goaltender Bryan Pitton already off for the extra skater but there was no time left for more drama and Stars celebrated the huge win at the end of regulation.

Edinburgh Capitals 3 Belfast Giants 2

Resurgent Edinburgh dealt perhaps a near fatal blow to the Belfast league title challenge, taking a 3-0 lead in the third period and then withstanding a big Giants comeback that fell short in the end.

Capitals have now moved on to the shoulder of fifth placed Cardiff in the standings, only three points behind the slumping Welsh side but for Giants it’s a six point gap to league top dogs Nottingham now with only four games remaining.

Capitals got off to a fast start and took the lead after only 85 seconds with Brent Patry slotting home. It was fairly even after that but the home defence was looking very solid indeed in front of goaltender Tomas Hiadlovsky.

No more scoring in the opening period and it was not until 37.57 that we saw a second goal, again it was Capitals who made special teams count and on the powerplay Rene Jarolin fired past Stephen Murphy.

The game looked done and dusted when Marcis Zembergs made it 3-0 at 49.11 but two goals in less than a minute saw Giants right back in it and set up a grandstand finish. Craig Peacock was first on the mark at 51.52 and then 43 seconds later Andre Fournier pulled the visitors to within a single goal.

Try as they might that was it as far as the Giants comeback fared and despite outshooting the home side by 16 to 7 in the period there was to be no more scoring and Richard Hartmann and his side were celebrating a great win at the final buzzer.

Hull Stingrays 1 Nottingham Panthers 3

Panthers moved on to the verge of that first league title since 1955/56 with a hard fought win over an in form Stingrays side who pushed them most of the way at a packed Hull Ice Arena before being overpowered in the end by surely now the champions elect, who are now one regulation win away from the title.

Panthers got off to the start wanted with a goal by Kelsey Wilson after only 19 seconds but the impressive Ben Bowns and his Stingrays teammates held firm after that, with no more scoring in the opening period.

Period two saw lots of Panthers pressure but again outstanding goaltending by Bowns aided by some determined home ‘D’ work kept out the normally free-flowing Panthers offence. However at 6.59 of the third period panthers went 2-0 ahead and could relax when David-Alexandre Beauregard found a way past the GB goaltender.

David Clarke added a third for Corey Neilson’s men with 46 seconds remaining but Craig Kowalski’s hopes of a seventh shutout of the season were dashed with only 4 seconds remaining as Jeff Smith scored with the final shot of the game.