The Flyers made their final visit of the season to Wales to play the Devils on St David’s Day. The visitors were without the injured trio of Patrick Kyte, Phélix Martineau and Aiden Wilson. Ben Brown was on duty with the Dundee Rockets and also scratched were Cameron Keny and James Spence. The Devils were playing their 3^rd game in four nights and scratched Bradley Schoonbaert, Mark Richardson, Reid Duke and Hunter Shinkaruk.

The Devils had the first couple of shots of the game both off target but they did get one behind Shane Owen after 92 seconds. Joey Martin set up the chance for Josh MacDonald who was able to stick handle the puck around the Fife keeper and find the net. Moments later and the Devils had another great chance when Ryan Barrow showed the Fife defence a clean pair of heals but Owen did well to shut him down with a pad save. Jonas Emmerdahl brought Ben Bowns into action in the Flyers next attack as he made a pad save. In the 5^th minute Bowns was in action again as he made a kick save on Massimo Carozza. Owen made a huge pad save on a Josh Batch shot that was redirected in the 6^th minute. Fife were then called for too many men on the ice on a line change and the Devils went to the games first power play. Owen showed excellent reflexes to stop a Martin one timer from the slot that was deflected off of a Flyers stick. Martin went even closer when his shot hit the Fife keepers shoulder and then clanked the crossbar. Owen ensured the Flyers completed the kill when he went post to post to get a glove on a shot by MacDonald lurking at the back door. Zach O’Brien gained the zone in the 10^th minute and from the slot his shot was well saved by Owen. The visiting keeper then made a double save in the 11^th minute when he stopped MacDonald again and then sprawled to keep Brett Perlini off the scoreboard. The Devils doubled their lead in the 13^th minute when Martin carried the puck down the left wing and his cross ice pass was converted at the back post by Benjamin Almquist for his first ever Devils goal. The Flyers had a chance to get back into the game in the 14^th minute as Lucas Chiodo broke in on Bowns from the neutral zone and was hooked on the play. The referee signaled penalty shot and Chiodo tried to beat Bowns on the stick side but the Devils keeper managed to make the blocker save.

The Flyers had a chance inside the opening 10 seconds as Carozza drove the net but Bowns stood tall. Perlini went close in the 21^st minute and a two minutes later Tyler Busch was stopped by Owen who was out aggressively as the Devils forward did a fly by in the slot. In the 25^th minute Ben Davies had a shot from the circles padded away by Own who then swallowed a blast from the blue line by Jarrod Gourley. The Devils increased their lead in the 26^th minute when Owen was beaten cleanly on his stick side by a blast from Perlini from just inside the blue line. In the 27^th minute a give and go with Charles-Antoine Paiement saw Jordan Stallard get a look at Bowns who made smart save. The Flyers had another chance in the 29^th minute when Kieran  Craig went down the left wing and around the back of the net and with Bowns out of position he just couldn’t quite execute the wraparound. The Devils added another goal in the 32^nd minute when the Flyers were guilty of a giveaway in their own zone and Cole Sanford sniped the top corner stick side on Owen. Bowns made a great kick save on a one timer from Michael Cichy in the 33^rd minute. In the 35^th minute Busch fired a shot off the crossbar. Daniel Krenželok made a great diving check in the 37^th minute to break up a dangerous Devils attack. Batch was then stopped by Owen in the 38^th minute as he tried to go five hole and Owen shut the wickets. In the 39^th minute Bowns was sharp as he smothered a shot that was deflected on his net. In the final few seconds of the period a sprawling Owen was lights out to stop Sanford who had a gaping net to hit.

In the 41^st minute O’Brien went in on goal but was denied by Owen who got the paddle down and with the help of his post the puck was scrambled clear. In the 42^nd minute a streaking MacDonald forced a stick save from Owen. A minute later some fine passing by the Devils created an opportunity for MacDonald who once again was denied by the Fife keeper. The Flyers luck was clearly out in the 46^th minute as they worked the puck down low and Paiement slithered the puck against the post and on the follow up Stallard was robbed by a desperation glove save by Bowns.  The Devils went back on the power play in the 47^th minute when Craig got the gate for a slash. The Devils controlled the puck from the face off and their patience paid off as Martin from the bottom of the circles picked the corner low on Owen’s glove side to increase their advantage. Stallard got a shot in net in the 50^th minute as he tried to go short side on Bowns who held on. Carozza then fired a shot off the mask of Bowns who then gloved a shot from Brodie Kay in the 53^rd minute. A minute later and Owen produced a point blank save on Sam Duggan who was parked at the edge of his crease. Further misfortune for the Flyers in the 57^th minute when Tyler Heidt had his stick explode on him when trying to pass the puck out of the zone and Riley Brandt from close range added the final goal of the night. The result mathematically eliminated the Flyers from playoff qualification.

Pic Credits – James Assinder

Fife Flyers are next at home on  Sunday 2nd March when they entertain the Nottingham Panthers – tickets can be bought online here:  Tickets – Fife Flyers or look out on social media channels for box office opening times.