The Flyers welcomed the newly crowned winners of the Challenge Cup the Belfast Giants back to Kirkcaldy for the final time this season. The home side welcomed back Patrick Kyte and Evan MacKinnon back into their line up but were still without injured pair of Phélix Martineau and  Aiden Wilson with Cameron Kenny, James Spence and Joe Lynch also scratched.  The Giants were still without long term injury victim Joe Cassetti and also scratched Zak Galambos and Kyle Osterberg.

The visitors dominated possession in the opening minutes of the match but were unable to force Shane Owen into anything other than a handful of routine saves. Bobo Carpenter brought a blocker save from Owen in the 3^rd minute with a shot from the circles. A minute later and the same Giant tried a wraparound but the puck shot out the others side of the crease. The game was producing very few clear cut chances as the Giants continued to dominate the puck. Carpenter again threatened the home goal with a shot in the 14^th minute which forced a stick save by Owen. As the Giants crashed the net Owen went down and a scrum ensued which saw Jonas Emmerdahl and Cameron Pound assessed with coincidental roughing minors. In the 15^th minute the visitors broke the deadlock when a shot from up on the blueline by Mike Lee went through a crowd in front of Owen and into the top of the net. Moments later Tyler Heidt was assessed a double minor penalty for high sticks after the play was reviewed by the officials despite no initial call being made on the ice to facilitate a review. The Flyers got back on terms a minute into the penalty kill when Massimo Carozza stole the puck in neutral ice and skated into the Giants zone to fire a shot five hole on Tom McCollum from the circles. The visitors resumed their man advantage and Owen denied Carpenter once again before he went post to post to stop a Scott Conway one timer. The Giants pressure around the Flyers net on the power play eventually paid off as JJ Piccinich at the lip of the crease was able to tip the puck over a sprawling Owen.

The second period started with a big shot block by Evan MacKinnon in the opening minute. In the 22^nd minute Lee carried the puck down the slot but Owen shut him down and a minute later Pierre-Olivier Morin was denied by the Fife goalie from the circles. The Flyers were back on level terms in the 23^rd minute when Patrick Kyte skated the puck out of his own zone and cut through the centre ice to gain the zone before feathering a pass back into the slot that Carozza tipped into the net glove side on McCollum.  In the 28^th minute McCollum juggled a shot from Ben Brown before the puck was cleared. The Giants went the other way and Owen denied Morin with a full leg extension save as the Giants forward took the puck to the Flyers net. Moments later however the visitors were once again in the lead as Josh Roach in the high slot spun around and his backhand shot on goal found a gap five hole on Owen. In the 30^th minute McCollum made a toe save to deny Michael Cichy who couldn’t then coral the bouncing puck with a gaping net. The following shift Karl Boudrias stick handled his way to the net and tried to deke Owen but slid the puck wide of the post. Owen made a big save on Carpenter again in the 32^nd minute as he was out aggressively at the top of his crease. The Fife keeper then denied Jordan Kawaguchi in the 33^rd minute before the Flyers broke up ice and McCollum blockered away a shot from MacKinnon. In the 35^th minute Kieran Craig set up a chance for Carozza who saw his tip just go over the bar with McCollum scrambling. Austin Farley showed great tenacity in the 38th minute as he won a board battle on the left and his pass to Brown in the slot saw McCollum rob the Flyers youngster. The Giants almost doubled their lead with 5 ticks left on the clock as Jeff Baum stole in at the back post to connect with a David Goodwin pass from the point but he knocked the puck wide of the goal.

To start the final period Owen made a blocker save on David Goodwin in the opening minute. The visitors went back on the man advantage in the 45th minute when Daniel Krenželok got the gate for boarding Morin. Owen made a smart save to stop a Gabe Bast drive but the visitors power play clicked again as Goodwin found Scott Conway with a cross ice pass and his first time shot from the circles found the top of the net with Owen trying to get across his net. The Flyers came up with the perfect response and made it a one goal game again in the 47^th minute when Farley took the puck to the net and McCollum made the initial stop but “Johnny on the spot” Charles-Antoine Paiement was able to roof the puck over the Belfast keeper. In the 51^st minute Owen made a big blocker save on Mark Cooper who had a shot from the slot.  Lucas Chiodo went around the back of the net in the 53^rd minute and tried to stuff the puck home but was blocked out and the Giants went up ice for Morin to be denied by yet another fine Owen save. The Flyers went on their first power play of the night in the 57^th minute when Morin was called for holding. A blast from the blueline by Olivier LeBlanc caught McCollum unawares and hit the goalie in the mask. With 40 seconds of man advantage time remaining the Flyers called a time out. Soon after the restart Owen went to the bench for the extra skater. The Flyers couldn’t get a clear sight of goal and the Giants returned to full strength. Tyler Heidt made a great poke check to knock the puck away from Morin who would have had a breakaway on the empty net. The Giants took another penalty with 25 seconds remaining with Conway called for hooking. 6 on 4 the Flyers won the draw but the Giants boxed out and held on for their win.

Pic Credits – Jillian McFarlane and Derek Young

Fife Flyers are next at home on Saturday 22nd March when they entertain the Guildford Flames – tickets can be bought online here:  Tickets – Fife Flyers or look out on social media channels for box office opening times.