It was the final meeting of the season between the Panthers and Flyers. The hosts were looking to be the only team to complete a clean sweep against the Flyers this term. The visitors were without the injured pair of Johan Porsberger and Mason Alderson with Christian Purboo a late change in net for the Flyers getting his first start in 12 game. There was a Flyers debut for Cole Giannandrea who turned 17 years of age earlier in the week. The Panthers who could not afford any slip ups in their bid to catch Champions elect Belfast Giants had Kevin Carr in net and scratched Jarod Hilderman, Matt Alfaro and Jason Grande.
The Panthers had the first shot of the game as Zsombor Garat tested Purboo for the point. In the 3rd minute Carr saw his first action as he made a glove save on Ethan Somoza. Purboo had to be sharp in the 4th minute as shot from David Noel came off the backboard and Bryan Lemos was hanging around the front of the net. The home side did however get in front at 4:54 as the linesman along the boards got tangled up with the play and the Panthers had a 2 on 1 with Nolan Volcan finding Lemos going down the slot and he beat Purboo on the stick side. Carr covered up a shot from Simon Despres in the 6th minute and a minute later Purboo had to shrug off a snap shot by Matthew Marcinew. The Panthers doubled their lead at 8:18 as Didrik Henbrant tried to feed the puck out from behind the goal and the poke check by Purboo put the puck straight on the stick of Lemos for his second of the night. Justin Ducharme gained the Panthers zone with speed and circled back to the high slot and Carr had to fight off his shot. Panthers added a third goal at 10:13 with a tic tac toe play with Brendan Harris slipping the puck to Tim Doherty who was able to beat Purboo from close range. Purboo was lights out in the 11th minute as he denied Chase Pearson and Carr was able to seal his post in the 12th minute to hold onto a one timer from Logan Neilson from the circle and the Panthers keeper then held a shot from Garet Hunt to his chest moments later. Carr came up with another solid save as he stopped a shot from the circle by Josh Winquist before Purboo robbed Doherty as the slid post to post to get a pad on the shot following a 2 on 1 break. The Panthers went on the first powerplay of the game in the 15th minute as Milan Lucic went to the box for hooking. 6 seconds into the kill the Flyers were down another man as Andrew McLean was penalised with a double minor for high sticks. Marcinew brought a couple of fine save from Purboo with his heavy shots but the Flyers managed to kill both penalties without any further damage. 90 seconds before the end of the period Winquist fell awkwardly in a collision and was helped to the bench and to the room. Although he would return for a shift to start the second period his night was done. Carr shut down Somoza in the closing seconds of the first.
The Flyers called Carr into action 10 seconds into the second as he denied Neilson from close range. The Panthers however were quickly on the scoreboard again with another at 21:16 as they moved the puck around the Flyers zone and from the top of the circle Noel ripped a shot over the pad and under the glove. Somoza was in tight on Carr in the 23rd minute as Finlay Ulrick tripped him to send the Flyers to their first powerplay. Despres forced a toe save from Carr but the Panthers were able to kill the man advantage relatively easily and as Ulrick returned to the ice Lucic just missed the puck from close range on Carr before the Panthers broke the other way with Ulrick bringing another good save from Purboo. The Flyers broke 2 on 1 in the 27th minute with Ducharme feeding Hunt but Carr shutdown the backhand effort. Chase Prason tipped a shot onto the post in the 28th minute and in the 30th minute Purboo turned away a quick release from Doherty from a face off win. Carr was in action in the 31st minute as he stopped Hunt and then Jonas Emmerdahl on the follow up. The Panthers passed up a 2 on 0 break as Henbrant passed to Nolan Volacn but Purboo came up big again before the Flyers keeper then shut the door on Lemos who was looking for his hattrick. A bump back pass from Ross Armour in the high slot set up Doherty in the 35th minute but Purboo stood tall to block the shot. The Panthers were back on the powerplay in the 36th minute as Hunt was called for unsportsmanlike conduct. It took the home side 10 seconds to take advantage as Pearson fanned on his first attempt at goal but was able to sweep the puck past Purboo with his second. Rowan Mills went to the penalty box shortly after when he got the stick into the feet of a Panther on a tripping call. The Flyers kill was strong with the Panthers unable to get anything set up. In the final seconds Keaton Jameson was in close but couldn’t get the puck up over Carr who made a shoulder save.
It was Jameson with an early chance to start the third period but he fired wide of the net from a good position. Armour tried to slide the puck into the bottom corner in the 42nd minute but Purboo got enough on it to keep it out but he was beaten again at 42:46 when Matt Spencer set the play up from behind his net and his pass out front found Marchinew who went bar down on the finish. The debutant Giannandrea had a break down the right hand wing and Carr had to make a solid save on his shot. Purboo reacted well in the 46th minute to deny Doherty from the slot. The Panthers were penalised in the 48th minute as Marcinew went to the box for holding the stick and it took the Flyers 4 seconds to capitalise on the powerplay. Jameson won the face off back to Ducharme and his one timer was bobbled by Carr before Jameson touched the puck into the net. Harris had a backhand shot turned away by Purboo in the 50th minute and Carr did likewise from a similar effort by Ducharme in the 53rd minute. The Panthers returned to the powerplay in the 54th minute as Somoza tripped Spencer. From the face off a scrum broke out with Mitchell Fossier wanting to drag Hunt into a confrontation. The result was 4 on 4 hockey as the Panthers player was given 2 minutes for a cross check and a roughing minor with Jameson also going to the box for roughing. The Flyers pulled another goal back at 54:31 following some nice passing and the shot by Lucic going of Carr’s pad and then post before landing on the stick of Ian Scheid who fired home from close range. Both teams returned to full strength and the game wound down without further incident.
Pic Credits – Nottingham Panthers
Flyers are next at home on Sunday 15th March when they entertain the Manchester Storm – tickets can be bought online here: Tickets – Fife Flyers or look out on social media channels for box office opening times.
