The Flyers and Panthers met for the final time this season with the visitors looking for their first success over their hosts. The Flyers were still without Phelix Martineau and Aiden Wilson through injury and scratched Cameron Kenny and James Spence whilst adding Joe Lynch. The Panthers were without Reid Stefanson, Josh Tetlow, Jaakko Niskala and Otto Nieminen.
The Panthers had the best of the opening two minutes with Janis Voris forced into saves from Logan Neilson, Zsombor Garat and Didrik Henbrant. The pressure soon paid off when Patrick Kyte was called for a slash in the 4th minute and the Panthers went on the first power play of the game. It took all of 3 seconds for the home side to find the net when Hugo Roy snapped the puck over the blocker of Voris from the slot. The Flyers fashioned a chance shortly afterwards with a good forecheck that set up Michael Cichy but his shot was high over the bar. In the 7th minute the Panthers were back on the man advantage when Tyler Heidt was called for a trip. A minute in and Kristoff Kontos took the puck into the circles and fired a shot low into the net stick side on the Fife goalie. Voris was in action again in the 10th minute following a good give and go between Tim Doherty and Mitchell Fossier with the latter denied by a fine pad save. A minute later and Davis Bunz from the low slot was absolutely robbed as Voris flashed the leather to snag the puck. In the 11th minute the Panthers added another as a delayed call was coming against Kieran Craig for a slash but Roy took the puck to the middle of the slot before he shot back across the grain to beat Voris low stick side. Voris had to sprawl post to post in the 16th minute to deny Jordan Kelsall. A fourth Panthers goal arrived in the 17th minute when Matt Spencer walked the puck along the blue line before firing from the high slot and his shot beat Voris through a screen. Jason Grande made his best stop in the 18th minute when he flashed a pad to stop Austin Farley and he followed that up with a stop from a Heidt shot that was tipped by Jordan Stallard. As we moved into the final minute of the period the Panthers went nap when Cooper Zeck gained the zone and set up the chance at the back door for Kontos to go shelf giving Voris no chance.
In the Flyers survived a 3 on 1 break in the 24th minute when Brodie Kay broke up the play with a crucial interception. Moments later however the Panthers added another goal as Voris made the initial stop on a Mitchell Fossier shot but Doherty was positioned on the edge of the crease to bat the puck down and stuff it past the Flyers goalie. In the 26th minute Lucas Chiodo stepped out from behind the net with the puck but couldn’t get enough on his effort to trouble Grande. A minute later and the Panthers went on the penalty kill as Henbrant was sent to the box for a hook on Evan MacKinnon. The Flyers best chance with the man advantage came when Olivier LeBlanc found MacKinnon in the slot who redirected the puck but Grande was alert to make the pad save. Henbrant returned to the ice and immediately had a chance but Voris made a solid positional save. Kontos almost got his hat trick in the 30th minute but his wicked wrister from the slot rang the cross bar. Following the power break the home side switched netminders with Jere Huhtamaa making his Panthers debut. Immediately from the face off he was under pressure but as Chiodo stick handled his way on net the puck slid off the blade of his stick although Kontos was assessed a tripping penalty on the play to return the Flyers to the power play. This time they made their advantage count as Charles-Antoine Paiement showed patience to weave his way in from the circles and his low shot found the bottom corner of the net. Panthers responded in the 35th minute when Davis Bunz scored his first goal of the season when he snapped a shot from the dot across Voris just inside the post. In the 36th minute Cichy set up a chance for Farley that Huhtamaa saved and the other way Fossier was denied by Voris. The Flyers found the net twice in a matter of 36 seconds before the period break. Their first came from Jordan Stallard who was able to pick the bottom corner of the net on the glove side of the Panthers relief goalie and he followed that up by driving the net from the slot and as he knocked the puck down he was able to shovel it over the blocker side of Huhtamaa.
Into the final period and Huhtamaa made the first save in the 43rd minute to deny Farley. A minute later and the Flyers threatened again but Chiodo was unable to beat the home goalie. Voris then made a point blank stop on Ollie Betteridge in the 45th minute as Massimo Carozza then drove the Panthers net but Huhtamaa stood strong before following up with another good save from a LeBlanc effort from distance. The Panthers added an eighth goal in the 46th minute when the puck was played from down low up to Quinn Wickers who had time and space from the opposite circle to fire into the bottom corner of the net. A minute later and Chiodo burst through the home defence and tried to deke Huhtamaa who stayed with the play to jam has pad against the post to make the save. In the 48th minute Matt Alfaro played in Fossier who tried to slide the puck underneath Voris but the keeper kept it out. The final goal of the game came in the 52nd minute when Fossier won a board battle behind the Flyers net and fed the puck out front to Doherty who made no mistake by hitting the top corner glove side on Voris. In the 54th minute Huhtamaa made a double save as he firstly denied Cichy then stopped Chiodo who was tripped by the keeper on the play. On the power play Farley spotted Kieran Craig at the edge of the crease but his redirect was just off target. The Panthers returned to full strength and the final chance of the game came in the 57th minute when Doherty and Zeck combined but Voris made a fantastic sprawling save on the latter.
Pic Credits – Nottingham Panthers
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.
