The Flyers and Stars met for their final outings of the 2025/26 season with both clubs no doubt looking to finish on something of a high with a win. The Stars announced before face off that this would be the final game for long time head coach Marc Lefebvre and it was also the final game of the Tayside team being under the stewardship of the Ward family. The home side made only one change from the previous night overtime defeat in Kirkcaldy as they started Jarrett Fiske in net replacing Emil Kruse. The Flyers had one in and one out as Johan Porsberger laced up having missed the last 13 games but Jeremy Masella joined Mason Alderson out with injury. Milan Lucic remained a scratch with Christian Purboo making the start in net and there was a debut for Cameron Wilkie who celebrated his 20th birthday a couple of days ago.
In the opening minute Purboo was straight into the game as he had to deny Spencer Naas wrist shot who was on his doorstep. In the 2nd minute Fiske came up with a great right leg extension to make the save on Ethan Somoza and then moments later Porsberger almost connected with a loose puck lying in the crease but the Stars scrambled clear. In the 4th minute Keaton Jameson went down the slot but Fiske smothered his shot and a minute later a nice set up presented Ryan Nicholson with a chance below the circles but he drifted his shot just wide of the Stars net. Purboo made a huge reflex save with his glove to stone Matthew Boudens from the slot in the 7th minute. Morten Jurgens then tested the visiting keeper in the 8th minute with a shot from the high slot that Purboo shrugged off into the corner. In the 9th minute Johnny Curran stripped the puck from Andrew McLean and teed up Naas from close range but his shot was deflected over the gaping goal by the stick of Jonas Emmerdahl. Purboo was tested by Zachary Taylor from a tight angle in the 10th minute. Naas gained the Flyers zone in the 12th minute but his shot from distance was swallowed by Purboo. The wide open nature of the game continued as a shot from Somoza close in beat Fiske but hit a skate at the far post to bounce to safety in the 13th minute. An Ethan Hadden shot from the side of the net was well saved by Fiske then a minute later Benjamin Almquist skated into the high slot but his snapshot was held by Purboo. The Stars went on the powerplay in the 17th minute as Jameson was called for a slash. The Flyers completed the kill including a period of time where Garet Hunt had to play without a broken stick.
The Flyers passed up the best chance of the match so far in the opening minute of the middle period as Josh Winquist found Jameson all alone in front of Fiske and the Stars keeper made a great pad save on the first shot before the Flyers man took the puck around him and struck the post of the open goal from an angle. In the 24th minute Jonathan McBean in the middle of the slot tried to disguise his shot but Purboo blockered the puck to safety. Naas took the puck to the net a minute later but Purboo was able to swallow his shot before a combination of Purboo and Simon Despres managed to knock the puck away as Keanu Yamamoto was all but 6 inches from the goal line but couldn’t open the scoring. In the 28th minute Fiske made a pad save on Jameson as play from both sides was decidedly scrappy. A minute later and a bouncing puck fell onto the stick of Despres but Fiske at the top of his crease was able to hang on to the shot. Purboo then blockered away a rising shot from Justin Bean in the 30th minute and shortly after Kris Inglis over skated the puck in the neutral zone which allowed Winquist to feed Neilson and he went to the net to draw Fiske but then sent his backhand effort over the crossbar. Purboo made a kick save to deny Almquist in the 31st minute and a couple of minutes later a Winquist shot got away from Fiske but the Stars defence were able to mop up the danger before Neilson could pounce. Taylor then went coast to coast with the puck but Purboo held his shot before Neilson wired a wrist shot off the mask of Fiske for a stoppage in play. The Stars broke 2 on 1 in the 34th minute with Curran and Naas but Purboo held on to the latter’s shot. A big one timer from Winquist in the 38th minute was well saved by Fiske and in the final minute Purboo was alert to stop a Bradley Schoonbaert chance.
The Stars returned to the powerplay in the opening minute of the 3rd period as Jameson was binned for shooting the puck over the glass. Purboo made a couple of good saves stopping a blast from Naas from the high slot and then a close in save to deny Otto Nieminen as the visitors completed the kill. Porsberger flubbed on a shot in the 44th minute with the goal gaping and Fiske gratefully gathered the loose puck. A redirect in the 45th minute from Jurgens just went past Purboo’s post and Nicholson then had a shot from the blueline held by Fiske as the Flyers transitioned the other way. A Justin Ducharme shot in the 46th minute went in and out of the glove of Fiske who then denied Somoza on the follow up chance. Hadden had a shot a minute later from the circles that Fiske just got a piece of as the puck trickled just past the post. The Stars netminder made a solid save moments later as Ben Brown looked to get goals in back to back games. Griffin Luce was sent to the penalty box in the 49th minute as he got the stick into the feet of Brown on a tripping call. It took the Flyers 2 seconds to capitalise with the man advantage as Jameson drew the puck back to Ian Scheid who drilled it glove side on Fiske. Amazingly just 12 seconds later the Stars were level as Purboo let out a rebound on a Curran shot and Nieminen followed in to slip the puck home. In the 51st minute Fiske flapped at a snapshot by Porsberger but recovered to cover up. Scheid went close again in the 52nd minute as Fiske paddled away the puck from close range and in the 54th minute Purboo was happy to swallow a shot from Drydn Dow who had all sorts of time in the slot. Nicholson was then denied by a lights out save by the Stars goalie as Winquist fed him the puck at the edge of the crease. Purboo then made a couple of saves on Almquist and Jackson Desouza in the 57th minute. With two minutes to go a scramble around the Flyers net saw Purboo cover the puck up and from the resultant scrum Hunt and Boudens both sat for off setting roughing minors.
For the second night in a row we went to overtime and the early possession was with the Stars as Purboo saved a back hand effort from Naas. The Flyers however won it at 62:20 when Porsberger was released by Ducharme who made a shot block on Dow and the returning Flyers forward had the freedom of the rink from his own zone to skate in on Fiske and he sniped the puck over the glove of the Stars goalie.
Pic Credits – Dundee Stars
Everyone at the Flyers would like to thank you all for the fantastic support throughout the season – see you all next season Flyers fans.
