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Match Report – Sunday 6th October 2024

The Flyers made their first visit to the Motorpoint Arena to meet the Panthers looking to make it back to back victories for the first time this season. The travelled south with a bench further shortened by injuries to Olivier LeBlanc and Patrick Kyte who joined Johnny Curran on the sidelines with Artur Gatiyatov being brought back into the lineup. The Panthers scratched Jaakko Niskala and Cooper Zech.

The Panthers were on the front foot after only 15 seconds when Otto Nieminen put a back hand shot on goal that Shane Owen held. The Flyers responded within the opening minute when Michael Cichy and Lucas Chiodo combined with the latter forcing a good kick save from Ryan Bednard. In the 3rd minute another Flyers break saw Chiodo feed the puck to Phélix Martineau whose snapshot whistled just past the post. There were very few chances for either side but it was the Flyers who again carved out the next dangerous opportunity when Maxim Musorov and Chiodo linked up and the pass back across goal was deflected by a stick preventing Chiodo having the chance at an empty net. In the 8th minute Owen had to make a smart save on Davis Bunz and the visitors had a huge let off when Reid Stefanson was all alone in the slot but Owen was stellar to make a great save. A minute later the Panthers came even closer when a Matt Spencer shot hit the inside of the post and slid across goal but Sam Herr couldn’t get a touch with a great stick lift by Noah Delmas saving a certain goal. The Panthers pressure eventually paid off in the 12th minute when a shot from up on the blueline was redirected by Ollie Betteridge in the slot and beat Owen who was unhappy with some earlier contact in his crease. The on ice decision was  goal and the Flyers used their Coaches Challenge but the decision stood and the Panthers went on the power play. The Flyers came up with a massive kill as the home side failed to get  shot on Owen. In the 15th minute Martin Látal went coast to coast with the puck and his back hand effort forced a shoulder save from Bednard. The Panthers increased their lead in the 18th minute when Nieminen sprung Kristoff Kontos into the Fife zone and as he skated in on Owen his release found the five hole from the bottom of the circles. The final save of the period came from Bednard in the 19th minute when he stuck out a pad to deny Daniel Krenželok.

In the opening minute of the second period Panthers home debutant Zsombor Garat went down the left wing and fizzed in a shot that didn’t miss Owen’s far post by much. Chiodo carried the puck into the Panthers zone in the 24th minute and his shot from the slot hit the stick of Josh Tetlow and deflected wide of the net. The Panthers next chance in the 25th minute saw Hugo Roy go for a skate in the Flyers zone and as the space opened up his shot was saved by Owen with the puck rebounding off Brodie Kay and rolled towards the net before being cleared. The Panthers were enjoying considerable zone time in the Flyers end of the ice and after a long period of possession Owen swallowed a shot by Quinn Wichers. The third Panthers goal was only delayed a minute as Didrik Henbrant broke in on the Flyers goal and with Delmas trying to strip the puck a delayed penalty was called but Henbrant kept the puck alive and fed it to Sam Herr who from an angle managed to bank the puck off of Owen and into the net. The Panthers continued to press and the Flyers were lucky to survive another couple of chances in the next few minutes with firstly Matt Alfaro being denied by a pad save and then Owen stopping Henbrant as he saved the puck with his face mask. The home side killed the game with a couple of goals within a minute. The first in the 37th minute came after Kontos and Roy broke 2 on 1. Kontos took the puck around a sliding Tyler Heidt before releasing it to Roy who was able to walk around Owen and slide the puck home. The Panthers fifth came after they won another offensive zone face off and the puck went back to Tim Doherty inside the face off circle and his quick release beat Owen on the glove side just inside his post. In the final minute the Flyers had an odd man rush with Chiodo getting a shot away on Bednard who had to make a shoulder save as the puck rose up on him.

The Flyers carried the play to open the third period and Tyler Heidt had a shot from the boards that was gloved by Bednard who then lost his shutout bid moments later as Chiodo skated in one on one on him and produced a fine finish. Flyers had the next chance in the 43rd minute when Krenželok floated the puck in from the blueline with a mass of humanity around the Panthers goal but Bednard was able to track it and glove it. In the 45th minute following some nice set up play in the Panthers zone Martineau misfired on a one timer from an angle. A minute later Michael Cichy blocked the puck in the crease with his body from a Roy shot that looked net bound. Betteridge fired a shot off the outside of the post in the 47th minute and in the next minute Henbrant with electric pace dangled through the Fife defence and went backhand forehand but was very unfortunate to see his shot slide under Owen and hit the post. Another Krenželok blast from the blue line brought another glove save from Bednard. Henbrant and Owen continued their duel as the Panthers player went down the right side but the Flyers keeper was square to the shooter to make the save. Heidt then had a one-time blast from the blueline that Bednard turned away with his stick. A minute later and Bednard was once again in action this time stoopping a speeding Látal from the left wing. The Panthers keeper then spilled a Krenželok drive and Cichy was on hand to collect the puck but his shot on the backhand was well saved. Krenželok continued to show his offensive side as he stole the puck in the neutral zone before firing a shot from the top of the slot that Bednard blockered away. In the 57th minute Owen produced the save of the game as he went full stretch to stop Kontos. In the final minute Adam Berg went through for the Panthers but Owen stopped him with a solid blocker save and with just 20 seconds remaining the Flyers went on their first power play of the night as Spencer was binned for roughing. The visitors had no time to set anything up before the final buzzer.

Pic Credits – Nottingham Panthers

Fife Flyers are next at home on  Wednesday 9th October when they entertain the Belfast Giants – tickets can be bought online here:  Tickets – Fife Flyers or look out on social media channels for box office opening times.