Both teams came into this game looking to get back into the winning side of the ledger with the Flames winless in their last three games and the Flyers on a four game skid. The Flyers gave a home debut to Latvian netminder Janis Voris with Fynn Page back in the lineup and James Spence dropping out. Olivier LeBlanc and Johnny Curran were both out injured and they had one game time decision to make after the warm up skate and the additional scratch was Nikolai Shulga. The Flames scratches were Stephen Calisti, Daniel Tedesco, Travis Brown, Jake Coughler and long term injury casualty Brett Welychka. Jake Kupsky got the start in nets in place of Eamon McAdam.

The Flyers opened brightly and a Martin Látal steal after 90 seconds allowed him to feed the puck across the slot to Maxim Musorov who was just wide of the target with his backhand effort. The Flames however stunned the home side in the 3^rd minute when Brett Ferguson fired a speculative shot on net from the high slot that looked as though it crept under the arm of Voris. A minute later and the Flyers were level when Tyler Heidt fired a shot that Kupsky couldn’t hold and Musorov was first to react to fire the puck home. The Fife keeper made his first save a minute later when he stuck out a pad to stop a Charlie Curti shot from the point. The Flames were once again threatening in the 7^th minute when Voris had to be alert to stop a turnaround shot by Lewis Hook. Great tenacity by Musorov in the 10^th minute saw him gain the Flames zone and his drop pass to the slot was met by Lucas Chiodo who forced a fine glove save by Kupsky. Moments later Voris survived a scramble around his net and with the puck still loose he got the benefit of an early whistle. The Flyers then gave the puck away and Josh Waller went in all alone on Voris who shut the five hole on him.  Tyler Heidt was called for the games first penalty in the 11^th minute as he batted the puck over the glass for a delay of game. Voris was square to Matt Alvaro’s shot early in the man advantage but could do nothing to stop a blast from the blueline from Charlie Dodero with the Fife keeper clearly unsighted. The Flyers went on the powerplay in the 13^th minute with Lewis Hook called for a slash but they didn’t get anything set up and Voris late on had to scramble the puck from his net as the Flames returned to full strength. In the 18^th minute a Látal backhand was blocked and the puck recycled and passed to Musorov in the slot and his shot produced a big block by a Flames defenceman. Flames went the other way and Voris made a big pad save. The Flyers ended the period with a massive chance when Musorov set up Phélix Martineau who forced a stellar save by Kupsky.

Austin Farley who left the game early in the first period with a facial injury didn’t return to the bench for the remainder of the game. Flyers came out hitting to start the second period and their forecheck kept the Flames pinned in their own zone in the opening minute. In the 22^nd minute Voris had to make two saves in quick succession from Alvaro and Waller. The Flames Marcus Tesink was called for a trip on Brodie Kay in the 23^rd minute and Daniel Krenželok had a big shot saved by Kupsky’s pads. On the powerplay Ryan Foss was on the edge of the crease but just couldn’t get his hands turned to get his shot away. Martineau then had a good look at goal but fired wide and the Flames in quick transition were clinical as a shot from the right wing from Daniel Catenacci found a way through Voris for a shorthanded goal to extend the Flames advantage. The Flyers responded in the 26^th minute when they had an odd man rush and a nice shot pass off the pads of the Flames goalie by Martineau landed on the stick of Michael Cichy who made no mistake. In the 28^th minute Dodero was called for boarding and on the delayed penalty the Flyers skated 6 on 5 for nearly a minute in the Flames zone bit couldn’t fashion any clear cut sights on Kupsky. On the power play Kupsky did well to hold a shot from distance with Foss standing in his kitchen looking for the scraps. Krenželok then had a drive from the blueline that went just wide as the Flames returned to full strength. In the 33^rd minute Krenželok once again showed his offensive side as he weaved around the Flames zone and got his shot away from the slot that went straight into the logo of Kupsky. The Flames stretched their lead in the 35^th minute when Voris came out to play the puck but gave it up to Ethan Strang and his shot found the bottom corner as the Flyers goalie tried to get back into position. Foss was called for holding the stick in the 36^th minute but the Flyers penalty kill came up big as the Flames failed to get a shot on goal. In the dying seconds of the period there was another let off for Voris who let a puck slip from his grasp and the referee quickly blew the play dead just as a Flames player put the puck in the net.

The third period commenced with the Flyers going back on the powerplay as Lucas Chiodo was tripped along the boards by Mike Crocock. Flyers best chance in the two minutes fell to Martineau who fired one high over the net from the slot and the Flames completed the kill following a scramble around their net with Pilon, Musorov and Artur Gatiyatov sniffing for a chance. With the Flames at full strength the Flyers did pull a goal back almost immediately when a shot from Martineau rebounded from Kupsky’s pads and was picked up by Cichy who found the far corner of the net as he swiveled and shot. Within 30 seconds a great pass up the center of the ice released Waller and he went in one on one with Voris who made a great blocker save. The Fames did however strike back just two minutes after the Flyers goal when Brodie Kay coughed up the puck along the boards and Ferguson stole the puck to feed it to Sean Norris who skated in and beat a helpless Voris. The Flyers desperately needed a response and Látal almost provided it a minute later when he surged down the right wing and cut in on goal but Kupsky made a strong save with his paddle down. The Flyers were within a goal again in the 48^th minute when Martineau took the puck into the slot area and worked an angle for a shot which deflected off of Cichy on its way into the top corner of the net to mark his hat trick counter. The Flyers yet again gave up another goal quickly and within a couple of minutes the lead was again two for the Flames as Catenacci finished off a quick transition by putting the puck five hole on Voris. Flames speed on he breakout continued to give Flyers trouble and Strang tested Voris with a shot from the high slot off the rush which the Fife keeper gloved. In the 53^rd minute a hit from behind on Martineau by Jack Jacome brought a reaction from Patrick Kyte as he and Dodero were binned for roughing minors and the original hit called as an interference minor putting the Flyers back on the powerplay. Despite plenty of possession in the Flames zone the Flyers were once again unable to open up space to test Kupsky although the Flames as they had done all night long put on a shot blocking masterclass. Martineau came close with a one timer in 55 minutes and moments later he and Kyle Locke got the gate for roughing. With two minutes to go the Flyers rolled the dice and pulled Voris for the extra skater. Strang won a race for the puck down the right boards and found the empty net to ice the win for the visitors.

Pic Credits – Jillian McFarlane and Derek Young

Fife Flyers are next at home on  Sunday 27th October when they entertain the Dundee Stars – tickets can be bought online here:  Tickets – Fife Flyers or look out on social media channels for box office opening times.