The Fifers welcomed the Nottingham Panthers hoping to carry forward the momentum from the previous evening’s win in Manchester. The visitors started Jason Grande in net and were without the injured Quinn Wichers as they were looking for a four point weekend to keep in touch with the top three teams. The Flyers started exactly the same bench as the previous evening with Patrick Kyte, James Spence Aiden Wilson and Cameron Kenny all scratched.

The first shot of the game came after 20 seconds when Grande blockered away a shot from Massimo Carozza who went down the right wing. Jānis Voris was in the game after 90 seconds when he stopped a Tim Doherty shot. In the 4^th minute Voris was almost caught out by a shot from the half boards by Jordan Kelsall that he blockered and it almost spun into the net. The game was fast paced with very few whistles as the teams went back and forth at each other. The Panthers took the first penalty of the game in the 7^th minute when Didrik Henbrant went to the box for hooking. The Flyers couldn’t get anything set up in the Panthers zone and the closest to an opening goal came on a shorthanded bid by Kelsall who tried to sneak the puck past Voris at his post but he scrambled it clear as the Panthers completed the kill. In the 11^th minute Voris came up with a solid save when he got a glove to a shot by Zech Cooper who was in the slot but he did enough to deflect the puck over the bar. Tyler Heidt tested Grande from distance in the 13^th minute and he had some trouble tracking the puck but the Panthers then broke quickly and Voris was again stellar as he made a couple of pad saves in quick succession to deny Hugo Roy.  Phélix Martineau then forced Grande to cover up a shot as the pace of the game was creating a lot of exciting hockey. The Panthers came close in the 14^th minute to the opener when Voris bobbled a puck that got behind him and the puck lay flat on the goal line before being swept clear, the referee signaled no goal as play continued and the Flyers broke 2 on 1 with Lucas Chiodo feathering the puck to Martineau who was in deep but Grande slid across to make a pad save at his post. When the play was blown dead the referee went to video review which upheld the no goal on ice decision. A Jordan Stallard one timer in the 115^th minute was sticked away by Grande. Voris then denied Mitchell Fossier from the slot with a lights out reaction save as the teams headed to the room all square.

Carozza had the first shot of the middle period when he tested Grande from the left wing. The Panthers goalie was scrambling a minute later but Charles-Antoine Paiement couldn’t get a contact on the puck. The Panthers went down the ice and Voris gloved a long range shot by Josh  Tetlow. Paiement on the back hand was foiled by Grande in the 23^rd minute and a moments later a nice flowing move involving Stallard, Austin Farley and Michael Cichy saw the latter release a shot from an angle that was blockered away by the visiting keeper. The Panthers took the lead in the 26^th minute when Fossier had time down low to pick the top corner over Voris’s glove. A minute later and the Flyers were guilty of a turnover in their own zone and Voris made a full splits save at close range to rob Reid Stefanson. In the 30^th minute Grande held on to a Ben Brown shot with Stallard on the doorstep. A few moments later Voris mad a save on Fossier but the Flyers were penalised on the play when Noah Delmas was sent to the box for tripping. The Panthers first man advantage of the night saw them with lots of zone time around the Fife net without getting any direct shots on Voris. The Flyers had a short handed chance when Martineau broke 2 on 1 with his shot missing the target but the Flyers completed the kill. The Flyers leveled the game in the 33^rd minute when Ryan Foss played a pass to Carozza who sniped the corner of the net stick side on Grande. Shortly after the Flyers were back on the power play as Zech was called for a trip on Paiement. Sam Herr took the puck the length of the ice and drove the net but Voris stood strong as the Flyers again couldn’t settle the puck down in the Panthers zone and the visitors returned to full strength without any serious danger around Grande. Voris again denied Herr in the 38^th minute as the Panthers captain tried to drag the puck across his crease. Inside the final two minutes Paiement was given the gate for hooking as the Panthers went on their second power play. Within 11 seconds the Flyers were incredibly ahead as Kieran Craig stole the puck and went in on Grande who made the first save but Craig was able to slip the rebound in at the post for a shorthanded tally. The Panthers resumed their power play that was cut short when Matt Alfaro was binned for a slash as the teams ended the period skating 4 on 4.

The Flyers returned to full strength after 30 seconds of the third period and had a minute of power play which the Panthers again killed with ease. In the 43^rd minute Voris was aggressively out of his crease to take the net away from Henbrant in the slot. Tyler Heidt was then called for a cross check and Voris made a blocker save on Herr  and the Panthers again had a lot possession in the Fife zone without generating very much direct action on the Fife netminder as the Flyers returned to full strength. The Panthers however were ramping up the pressure and the Flyers struggled to exit their own zone. Stallard was penalised for slashing in the 48^th minute and Voris got across his goal to stop a shot from Kristoff Kontos and that was the only danger as the Flyers completed another kill. The visitors pressure did however pay off in the 51^st minute Zsomber Garat let a shot go from the high slot and it somehow squeaked through Voris to find the net. Just over a minute later and the visitors had the lead with a well worked goal that pulled Voris out of position and Kontos provided the back door finish. The Flyers returned to the power play in the 53^rd minute with Matt Spencer being called for boarding. The Flyers had an early chance as a shot was tipped in front of Grande and almost found the net. With 6 seconds remaining the Panthers were again penalized with Jaako Niskala going to the penalty box for a cross check. A short 5 on 3 saw the Flyers miss the net with a shot and Herr went the other way on another shorthanded bid but Voris made another excellent save. Martineau had a shot blockered away by Grande and Henbrandt saw his shorthanded shot saved by Voris as the Panthers returned to full strength. Voris was pulled for the extra skater with 100 seconds to play as the Flyers used their time out. The first couple of draws were won by the Flyers but the Panthers defended doggedly and finally worked the puck out of their zone and with patient possession got the puck to Otto Nieminen who found the empty net to ice the game with 45 seconds remaining.

Pic Credits – Jillian McFarlane and Derek Young

Fife Flyers are next at home on  Saturday 25th January when they entertain the Cardiff Devils – tickets can be bought online here:  Tickets – Fife Flyers or look out on social media channels for box office opening times.