The Flyers made their second trip of the season to the Lace City looking for their first points against the Panthers this term. The visitors were along similar lines to the previous evening with just one change as Shane Owen returned to the nets with Christian Purboo scratched along with the injured Jeremy Masella and suspended Garet Hunt. The league leading Panthers started Jason Grande in net and were without Mitchell Fossier, David Noel and Johnny Curran.
A couple of minutes into the game Owen made the first save as Matt Spencer put the puck on net from a tight angle. In the 3rd minute Mason Alderson went down the right wing and his centering pass found Giordano Finoro in the slot but he whiffed on his shot. Chase Pearson took the puck around the back of the Flyers net in the 5th minute and when he came out front he shot for the top corner but Owen was able to make the save. The home side did however open the scoring at 5:36 when Didrik Henbrant from a tight angle saw his shot blockered out by Owen but unfortunately the puck bounced into the gaping net off the skates of Nolan Volcan. In the 8th minute Logan Neilson went down the left wing and fired in a shot on the short side that Grande was able to pad away. Grande was in action again in the 10th minute as made a blocker save on a shot by Johan Porsberger from the high slot. The Panthers went the other way and Owen made a double save to deny firstly Matthew Marcinew then Brendan Harris. The Flyers went close in the 11th minute when Anton Karlsson found David Booth in the slot but Grande flashed the leather to snag his shot. The first powerplay of the game went to the Flyers as Zsombor Garat was called for delay of game for shooting the puck over the Panthers bench. Matt Alfaro had a short handed chance but Owen was able to shrug off his shot and the Flyers eventually got things set up in the Panthers zone and leveled the scoring when Porsberger sniped the top corner stick side on Grande from the top of the circles at 12:05. A one timer from the blueline by Spencer in the 14th minute was turned away by Owen and a minute later Andrew McLean took the puck down the right wing before driving the net but Grande stood tall. Bryan Lemos in the 16th minute forced a save from Owen and Booth moments later saw Grande get a pad to his shot. Pearson burst down the center of the ice in the 18th minute but Owen stood tall but at 18:20 the Panthers regained the lead. There was chaos in the Flyers defence as they were caught on an odd man break and Owen made a couple of desperation saves to deny Ross Armour but the puck stayed alive and found Garat who fired high into the yawning net. With 30 seconds to go Harris set up Marcinew at the back door but he couldn’t hit the net and Grande then had to make a couple of saves on the buzzer to stop Ian Scheid and Finoro.
The Panthers should have increased their lead early in the second period following a huge miss by Pearson who shot the puck straight through the blue paint with the net gaping but at 22:28 the Flyers took advantage of the let off to gain parity. Milan Lucic won the puck battle behind the net and he got the puck out front where Finoro was able to find the bottom corner past Grande with Booth providing a screen. Grande made a great save in the 25th minute from a shot from the slot by Scheid after Booth set up the blueliner. Booth won the puck in his own zone in the 27th minute and immediately headed down ice but the puck was bobbling as he hurried his shot which went over the crossbar. Jakob Stridsberg from distance tested Owen in the 28th minute and a minute later Henbrant tried a wraparound but Owen was alert to knock the puck to safety. The Flyers went back to the penalty kill in the 31st minute as Booth was called for a hold. The Panthers moved the puck around patiently and eventually Tim Doherrty found an opening to feed Ross Armour at the edge of the crease who was able to tip the puck past Owen at 31:30. The Panthers had their tails up at this point and Marcinew pounced on a loose puck in the slot but fired high. The home side extended their lead at 34:44 when a play from behind the net hit the frame of the goal and the puck landed on the stick of Jordan Kelsall in the slot and he went high over the blocker of Owen. Owen made a double save to deny Spencer in the 35th minute before Stridsberg was called for interference as Booth who was set sprawling to send the Flyers back to the powerplay. The visitors controlled the puck and Grande made two solid saves to deny Scheid then Keaton Jameson. The Panthers went down the ice and Pearson had Owen scrambling but lifted the puck over the net before Booth was stoned by a huge pad save as Grande went post to post and the Panthers survived to return to full strength.
The Panthers went back to the powerplay in the opening minute of the third period as the Flyers were called for too many men on a line change. Cooper Zeck immediately got a shot on Owen who blockered away and the visitors survived a scramble as Owen then made a save but the puck lay loose in the crease before Ryan Nicholson completed the clearance denying a tap in for Marcinew. Lemos had a shot ring the post as the Flyers completed the kill. Stridsberger had a shot from the slot in the 44th minute that Owen was square too and hung on. A minute later the Fife keeper knocked a shot from Pearson away and then followed that up to deny Alfaro. The Panthers would not be denied a fifth goal however as they were alert to pounce on a bobbling puck in the low slot and Armour went top shelf with his finish at 45:56. Josh Winquist then reacted to something said by Jarod Hilderman and he chased the Panthers player up ice and dropped the gloves. The pair tangled and fell to the ice with both getting roughing minors and Winquist the extra two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct to send the Panthers to another powerplay. The hosts made the Flyers pay as they worked the puck around the Flyers zone before Stridsberg unleashed a slapshot from the right faceoff dot that found the top corner of the net over the glove of Owen at 47:30. In the 50th minute Owen made a save on Marcinew. Justin Dicharme drove the net in the 53rd minute and was tripped by Stridsberg to give the Flyers the man advantage. During the powerplay Grande made two saves on Neilson, two on Porsberger and one on Booth as the Panthers returned to full strength unscathed. The Panthers stretched their lead at 55:18 when Zech put the puck on net from the blueline and Marcinew who was net front deflected the puck past Owen. Armour had a chance for his hattrick in the 57th minute but lifted the puck over the bar with Owen sprawling before the Fife keeper robbed Pearson an a 1 on 1breakway. In the 58th minute Ben Brown went down the left wing and his centering pass was tipped by Mason Alderson to bring a fine save from Grande who was beaten at 59:18 when Jameson stole the puck in the Panthers zone and found Ethan Somoza who squeezed it home at the near post for a consolation.
Pic Credits – Nottingham Panthers
Fife Flyers are next at home on Sunday 18th January when they entertain the Dundee Stars – tickets can be bought online here: Tickets – Fife Flyers or look out on social media channels for box office opening times.
