The Flyers made their final visit of the season to the Guildford Spectrum and travelled without the injured trio of Phelix Martineau, Patrick Kyte and Aiden Wilson. Cameron Kenny and James Spence were also scratched for the visitors. The Flames were without Kyle Locke, Austin Glover, Sam Jones the recently departed Charlie Dodero and Jake Coughler.

Shane Owen was in action in the opening couple of minutes as he made saves an Ryan Tait and Brett Ferguson. In the 4^th minute Eamon McAdam made his initial stop of the game as had trouble with a one-time blast from Olivier LeBlanc from the blue line that caught him on the shoulder as he was slow to track the flight of the puck. The Flames goalie was in action a minute later when he fought off a snapshot from Charles-Antoine Paiement from the circle. Owen made a right pad save on a shot by Daniel Tedesco from the high slot in the 6^th minute and as the game flowed end to end moments later McAdam had to be alert to take away the space for Kieran Craig who was parked on the edge of his crease. In the 7^th minute a tight angled shot by Charlie Curti was held by the Fife keeper who then  survived a scramble around his net. The Flames were denied the lead by a fantastic Owen save in the 8th minute when he stoned James Shearer on a back door play. The Flyers went on the first power play of the night in the 9^th minute when Daniel Krenželok was tripped by Brett Welychka. The Flyers controlled almost all of the two minutes and McAdam made saves on Michael Cichy and Tyler Heidt but they couldn’t break the deadlock. Just before the Flames returned to full strength Owen blockered away a shorthanded bid by Ryan Tait. Moments later Owen stood tall to deny Ferguson as he took the puck to the net. In the 12^th minute McAdam didn’t cleanly hold a shot from Brodie Kay and a minute later the Flyers were let off the hook as Owen was sprawling in his crease and Mike Crocock with most of the net to aim at sent the puck straight through the crease and past the far post. The Flames went close again in the 14^th minute with Daniel Catenacci taking the puck to the net and Owen eventually got the whistle as he did a snow angle to freeze the puck. The Flyers were penalised on the play however as Heidt went to the box for slashing and the Flames made their man advantage count. Ferguson collected the puck down low and his cross crease pas was finished by Tedesco with Owen having no chance. McAdam made a toe save on Jordan Stallard in the 16^th minute before Evan MacKinnon was hobbled blocking a fierce one timer from Travis Brown and he didn’t return to the game. In the 18^th minute a 2 on 1 break saw Massimo Carozza feed the puck to Lucas Chiodo who was denied by the outstretched leg of McAdam. Right on the interval buzzer LeBlanc was called for a hooking infraction.

The Flames on their second power play of the game worked Owen early who denied Tait with a full stretch stop. The home side did however double their advantage as Brown made a desperation play at the blue line to keep the puck in the Flyers zone and Tedesco fed to puck over to Tait who beat Owen with a shot top shelf. The Flames added another goal in the 24^th minute as Lewis Hook pivoted at the face off dot and his shot hit the shoulder of Owen before spinning up into the air and it dropped behind the Flyers netminder and dribbled across the goal line. Matt Alfaro had all sorts of time and space in the slot in the 25^th minute but Owen flashed the leather to deny him. The Flyers went back on the power play in the 26^th minute when Tedesco was called for a high stick on Craig. McAdam made a save on a shot from the blue line from LeBlanc but it was home side who almost found the net when Jack Jacome raced away short handed and as he ran out of real estate he dropped the puck to Catenacci but Owen again produced a stellar save with the pad. The Flames completed the kill just after Austin Farley was stopped by McAdam. In the 29^th minute Chiodo on an odd man rush feathered the puck over to Carozza at the lip of the Flames crease but McAdam made himself big to make the block. Jacome had his shot swallowed by Owen in the 30^th minute. Two minutes later and the Flames added a fourth goal when a shot from the blue line by Curti was tipped in the slot by Welychka and the puck flew into the top corner. In the 35^th minute McAdam made another save on Farley and the Flames keeper stopped a drive to the net by Craig in the 38^th minute as Josh Waller was called for a slash on the play to return the visitors to the power play. Craig carried the puck towards the Flames goal but his back hand sailed over the bar before it nearly bounced into the net after coming back off the glass. The Flyers almost conceded a shorthanded goal when Catenacci was absolutely robbed by Owen before the teams played the final few seconds 4 on 4 following Paiement getting the gate for a slash.

The Flames returned to full strength and onto another power play early in the final period. Owen had to make a save from a close in effort by Alfaro before another tip in front of him by Ferguson forced a fine reaction save as the Flyers returned to full strength. In the 43^rd minute Craig had a partial breakaway but pulled his shot wide of the post and moments later Owen made a stop again on Alfaro who was caught on the play by a check by Paiement who was sent to the penalty box. The officials decided to review the play and the Fife player was assessed a 5 plus game for a check to the head. The Flames extended power play produced a catalogue of chances and Owen as would be expected was a busy man. He held a blast from Brown before he made a pad save on Jacome and was in position to thwart Waller with the follow up shot from the slot. The Fife keeper made a scrambling save to stop Ferguson before the Flyers had a short handed chance when Craig saw McAdam blocker away his shot. Owen got help from his post as Jacome struck iron from a bad angle. With three seconds of the kill remaining the Flames were called for too many men and the Flyers went back on the power play after returning to full strength. The visitors got their reward for their endeavor when Carozza and Cichy combined to set up Craig in front of the net who was able to steer the puck home past an out of position McAdam. In the 51^st minute Waller put a wrist shot just wide of the Fife goal and in the 53^rd minute McAdam almost a let a dump in by Krenželok get past him. The Flyers defenceman was moved up to the wing as the Flyers were now down to seven forwards. In the 56^th minute Hook loaded up for a big one timer but Owen was across his goal in an instant to make a solid pad save. A minute later and Krenželok forced a save by McAdam before the Flames keeper made a huge stop on Craig with a couple of minutes remaining. Marcus Tesink was sent to the box for hooking as the Flyers finished the game on the power play. The visitors called a time out and when they won the draw the pulled Owen to skate 6 on 4 but despite controlling the puck in the Flames zone they couldn’t find an opening and almost gave up an empty net goal in the final seconds as a blocked puck slithered towards the empty cage but stopped inches from the line as the clock expired.

Pic Credits – John Uwins

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