Elite League round-up December 27
11:41pm Tuesday 27th December 2011 in News By Nigel McFarlane
Elite League round-up December 27
ELITE LEAGUE ICE HOCKEY:
A round up of the games in the Elite Ice Hockey League on Tuesday December 27.
Nottingham Panthers 5 Sheffield Steelers 1
Panthers completed two wins in two days over arch rivals Steelers in front of a sell out NIC crowd to put themselves firmly back in the title hunt with Matthew Myers and Matt Francis leading the way with doubles.
It was an impressive display by the home side in front of that mammoth 7,000 plus crowd and after early Steelers resistance it was downhill all the way for Ryan Finnerty’s men.
An even opening period with action at both ends but defences on top as the scoreline remained blank, although Steelers did well to kill off a 5 plus game penalty on Colt King at 9.22.
Into the second period and Panthers took the lead at 22.14 thanks to a powerplay strike by Myers but Steelers hit back against the run of play when Mike Ramsay finished in some style with the clock showing 28.40. That was to be Steelers last piece of joy on the night as panthers hit two quick goals to establish a 3-1 lead before the period end.
Francis was first on target at 34.00 and he was followed at 36.48 by David-Alexandre Beauregard on the powerplay to see Panthers in control.
Steelers hopes were effectively killed off when Myers added Panthers fourth only 14 seconds into the third period and with the intensity dying down somewhat as the period continued with the result in little doubt it was left to Francis to score his second at 56.37 as Panthers went nap.
Coventry Blaze 5 Hull Stingrays 2
Blaze continued their surge towards the top end of the table with a seventh straight regular season win in a game that they were never under any undue stress against a Stingrays side with only one win from their last nine.
After some dogged Stingrays defence kept Blaze out early on the opening goal arrived at 12.18 from Owen Fussey and the first period scoring was completed by Bryan Jurynec at 17.52.
A powerplay strike by Dustin Wood at 26.25 had Blaze 3-0 ahead before Jereme Tendler got Stingrays on the board at 27.20 but Blaze were three ahead again at 36.16 with a further powerplay effort, this time from Greg Owen to give them a commanding 4-1 advantage after forty minutes.
When Shea Guthrie made it 5-1 at 42.20 it was all over bar the shouting but to Stingrays credit they kept going and Dominic Osman pulled one back at 45.11. That was as close as the visitors got however and confident Blaze moved on to the shoulders of third placed Sheffield – now only two points adrift.
Fife Flyers 2 Dundee Stars 1
Nearly 2,000 in Kirkcaldy to see the home town Flyers take the points in a very tight match against East of Scotland rivals Stars, with all three goals coming in the opening period.
Flyers had got on the board first at 8.07 when Willie Nicolson fired home but on the powerplay Stars levelled at 10.53 via the stick of Alan Mazur. Late in the period the home side edged ahead again with what turned out to be the game winning goal when Mike Hamilton was on hand to dispatch the puck past Chris Whitley in the Stars cage.
There was very little in it after that with both sides creating and missing chances but with the respective defences in top form there was to be no addition to the scoring and Flyers move to within a couple of points of Stars at the bottom of the standings with a game in hand.
Belfast Giants 1 Braehead Clan 4
Undoubted shock of the night at the Odyssey as a Clan side who had capitulated by 7-2 at home against Giants the previous night turned the form book on its head with a stunning 4-1 win on the road.
It was clearly a night of Clan making the most of their opportunities on the night as Giants won the shot count by 44 to 18 but with Jaakko Suomalainen in great form between the visitors’ pipes the foundation was laid for a successful night.
Only a single goal split the teams in the opening period and that came at 17.52 for the visitors with Brock McPherson netting.
Clan got off to the perfect start to the second period when Ryan Campbell converted a penalty shot only 1.53 in and despite Giants firing 16 shots on Suomalainen, the Finn remained unbeatable as he led his side to a 2-0 lead after forty minutes.
Giants threw everything at Clan in the third period but there was simply no way through. Clan in fact could only muster two shots on goal in the period – but made them both count as former giant Mike Bayrack fired Clan 4-0 ahead with goals at 44.49 and 49.31.
Giants pressure finally paid off when Suomalainen’s shutout was lost at 54.53 and Craig Peacock scored for the home side but it was too little too late and the noisy travelling band of Clan supporters was in full voice come the final buzzer.
Edinburgh Capitals 3 Cardiff Devils 5
A late show from Devils turned the game their way as they overcame a 3-1 deficit early in the third period to score four straight goals and take the points, giving the Welsh side their fifth straight league win but condemning Capitals to their sixth loss in a row.
A goalless opening period with neither team able to gain the upper hand and that situation continued in the second period despite each side scoring once. Scott Dobben fired Devils ahead at 27.33 but Bari McKenzie levelled for Capitals at 32.24.
Capitals seemed to strike to victory in the third period when a Rene Jarolin double on the powerplay at 45.00 and 46.52 had them 3-1 ahead but Devils really dug deep to power forward and completely turn the game their way.
Mark Richardson started their run off on the powerplay at 51.24, Brad Voth tied it up at 55.04 and the game winning strike came from skipper Stuart Macrae at 58.39 with Ben Davies adding the insurance with 48 seconds remaining.
