Elite League round-up January 6, 7 and 8
8:42pm Monday 9th January 2012 in Ice Hockey By Nigel McFarlane
Elite League round-up January 6, 7 and 8
ELITE LEAGUE ICE HOCKEY:
A round up of the weekend's action in the Elite Ice Hockey League.
Friday January 6
Coventry Blaze 1 Sheffield Steelers 4
Having won their last four games at home Coventry were looking for win number five. A win that would have put them level on points with their opponents to keep them in the mix for the league title.
However the visitors came out the traps a lot quicker than the Blaze and in a five minute spell in the first period had netted three times. Those goals laid the foundation for the rest of the game.
The opener came at 5.47 as ex Blaze man Luke Fulghum put the visitors in front. Just under three minute later Mike Ramsay netted at 8.37 to give his team a two-goal lead. With 10.05 on the clock, it was 3 nil as Jonathan Phillips scored, the Blaze outshot the Steelers in the period but just couldn’t find a way past Decaro.
The Steelers added a fourth at 30.45 as Ramsay on the powerplay netted his second of the game. The hosts got their only marker at 33.30 from the stick of Bryan Jurynec Despite having more shots again in the second period that was the only time that they managed to breach the Sheffield goal.
For the third period in a row Coventry had more rubber on goal but Decaro was playing out his skin and in the end turned away 47 of the 48 shots he faced. Even with 9 powerplay opportunities, the Blaze could find no way through. After twenty minutes of play in the third period, it ended goalless as Sheffield conserved their energy with another two games to play in Scotland over the weekend.
Saturday January 7
Belfast Giants 6 Dundee Stars 2
League leaders Belfast Giants chalked up yet another impressive win, as they try to win the league for only the second time. The last time they were champions was in 2006.
They got off to the best possible start as Jeremy Rebek put them in front on the powerplay at 3.08. They doubled their lead at 14.22 with a strike from Craig Peacock.
At 28.58 Graeme Walton added a third goal this turned out to be the game winner. The Stars pulled one back at 31.49 as Jeff Hutchins netted on the powerplay. However, just over a minute later Robert Dowd restored the Giants three-goal lead as he netted at 32.57.
Dundee got their second goal of the night at 46.01 as John Dolan slotted home. That was as close as they were to get as the hosts added a further two at 48.05 from Darryl Lloyd and then Jeff Mason at 57.18 to complete the scoring.
Braehead Clan 3 Hull Stingrays 1
Clan scored two early goals and at this point, it looked as though the floodgates were going to open. However, the visitors dug in and it took an insurance goal in the third period to make sure the home side got their 4th straight win and at the same time inflict a 7th straight road loss on the Stingrays.
With 1.53 on the clock, the home side opened the scoring with a goal from Adam Walker. At 6.54 Jordan Krestanovich added a second to put the home side two in front. Stingrays pulled one back at 10.46 as Derek Campbell was on hand to knock the puck into the net.
In a goalless second period it was both goaltenders that were earning their crust as between them they turned away 21 shots.
The game remained tight throughout and could have gone either way until Krestanovich got his second goal of the game at 48.11 to open up some breathing space for the home side. With no further scoring, the Clan skated off with the points.
Fife Flyers 1 Sheffield Steelers 2
Title chasing Steelers had to fight all the way in this one with only a goal separating the teams after 60 minutes of hockey. Despite Flyers having lost a number of players recently they still pulled in a healthy crowd of over 1100.
It should have in all realty lambs to the slaughter. However, great credit must go to the Kirkcaldy team as they dug deep into the reserves and kept it to a one-goal game.
A single strike from Jeff Legue at 5.32 was all that separated the teams after the first session.
The visitors had to wait until 37.59 before they doubled their lead as Legue on the powerplay netted his second.
At 56.30 the Flyers got a goal back from the stick of Steven Gunn and this set up a tense last few minutes. Despite pulling the goaltender, they were unable to get the goal that would have taken it into overtime.
Nottingham Panthers 2 Cardiff Devils 4
Having won six on the bounce previously the Panthers have now lost their last two games and at the same time put a dent into their title aspirations.
The home side had most of the play as the shots on goal prove with them outshooting the Devils by 38-15. However, they came up against a hot goalie in Stevie Lyle who was letting very little get past him.
The Devils only managed to get three shots on goal in the first period and with one of them they scored the only goal of the period as Stuart MacRae netted with a powerplay goal with three minutes on the clock.
The teams traded goals in the second session as first Panthers got back on level terms with a strike from returnee Sean McAslan 50 seconds in. Phil Hill cancelled that out moments later as he scored at 22.52 to restore the Devils one-goal lead.
Going into the third period with only a goal separating them the hosts were level once again with a strike from David Beauregard at 44.49. At 47.55 Jeff Pierce netted the game winner on the powerplay and then Hill scored a second at 56.31.
The Panthers did have a chance late in the game to try and get something as at 57.25 Devils Chris Frank was ejected on a 5 plus game given the home side a powerplay to the end of the game. They pulled the goaltender at 58.25 for a six on four and then at 59.03 Devils took a minor penalty to give the hosts a six on three. But try as they might they failed to find a way through.
Sunday January 8
Cardiff Devils 1 Nottingham Panthers 4
Panthers gained overnight revenge on the Devils side who had won on the road at the NIC on Saturday by travelling to Wales and grinding out an impressive 4-1 win to halt their mini-slide in form.
This loss for Devils however, sees them overtaken by Braehead in the standings as they drop out of fifth spot in the standings, a position they have occupied since the October 2.
It was the visitors, icing without player/coach Corey Neilson, that took the early initiative and were ahead after 6.15 when Brandon Benedict netted on the powerplay. Devils were soon exerting their own pressure on the visitors and that paid off late in the opening period when again on the powerplay it was Phil Hill who levelled at 17.22.
Both sides had several powerplay chances in what turned out to be a goalless 2nd session but in the final period it was Panthers who turned the screw, taking the lead again at 49.51 with a strike by David-Alexandre Beauregard and then with Devils on the powerplay late on a shorthanded effort by Matthew Myers provided the insurance at 58.04, with the same player hitting the empty net with 34 seconds remaining to round off a great road win for title challenging Panthers.
Dundee Stars 0 Coventry Blaze 3
For the 2nd time this season Blaze travelled to Tayside and blanked the home side 3-0, this time with Peter Hirsch posting a 24 shot shutout.
Blaze therefore back on track after losing their last two but it’s a second weekend loss for Stars, who remain just a couple of points above bottom side Fife, with Flyers having two games in hand.
Blaze certainly had the better of the opening period and outshot Stars by 15 to 7, however neither team could make a breakthrough in the session and in fact it looked like going the same way in the 2nd period until finally GB star Jonathan Weaver got a rather large monkey off his back by scoring his 1st goal of the season after 39 games at 37.55 on the powerplay to edge his side ahead.
The game remained on a tightrope throughout the final period also but crucially it was Blaze who scored next to kill off the home side with Owen Fussey on target at 53.07. Robert Farmer added a 3rd for the visitors with 51 seconds remaining and the long bus journey back to the Midlands certainly will not seem so bad with two points safely tucked away for Paul Thompson’s men.
Edinburgh Capitals 3 Sheffield Steelers 4
An extended weekend road trip for Steelers with games in Coventry, Kirkcaldy and Edinburgh in successive nights and wins in all three after a devastating spell of three goals in less than two minutes in the final period saw Capitals sunk.
Steelers remain third in the standings, some seven points behind leaders Belfast but have five games in hand and continue to look real contenders.
Capitals however, remain on a downer with only a single win from their last nine.
Steelers had the better of the opening period but had but a single goal from Lee Esders at 12.44 to show for their efforts.
Capitals are always dangerous at home and in the second period they tied the contest at 37.52 when ace marksman Rene Jarolin was in the right place to score.
The final period so a rash of goals with firstly Capitals hitting the front at 44.18 when Jarolin scored his 2nd of the game only for Steelers to hit a real purple patch, scoring three times in 106 seconds to take control. First up was skipper Jonathan Phillips on the powerplay at 46.57, then Steve Birnstill at 48.24 before Colt King ended the spree at 48.43 to fire Steelers 4-2 ahead.
Shocked Capitals could do nothing about it and although Marcis Zembergs pulled a goal back on the powerplay with 13 seconds remaining it was all too late.
Hull Stingrays 4 Braehead Clan 7
Clan made it a weekend double over Stingrays in a high scoring encounter, moving above Cardiff and into fifth in the standings.
A fifth straight win for a Clan side dressing only 12 skaters and backed by an outstanding display by backup goaltender Michael Will as he stopped 42 of 46 Stingrays shots, while at the other end Brock McPherson scored no fewer than four times.
Clan took the lead on a delayed penalty when skipper Jordan Krestanovich fired in at 7.52 but Stingrays came back strongly to lead by the end of the 1st period thanks to goals at 8.25 from Dmitry Rodin and at 9.56 shorthanded from Jason Silverthorn.
Early scoring in the 2nd period saw Clan level on the powerplay through McPherson at 21.01 only for Stingrays to regain the lead at 22.19 when Matty Davies scored. McPherson again on another delayed penalty made it 3-3 at 24.52 and then at 26.34 Jade Galbraith edged Clan ahead on a 5 on 3 powerplay to end the period scoring spree.
Clan went two in front for the first time when McPherson completed his hat trick at 41.34 on the powerplay and although Jack Watkins pulled one back for the home side again on the powerplay at 44.40 it was Clan who were sharper in front of goal all night and McPherson added his 4th at 46.07 before Adam Walker completed the scoring with a 7th for the visitors at 53.16.
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