The Flyers returned to action after their matches last weekend fell victim to the stormy weather. The home side looked to get Patrick Kyte back into the line up who took warm ups but was a game time scratch along with Cameron Kenny, James Spence and Aiden Wilson. The league leading Giants were looking to extend their winning streak to a season high 8 games and they were without long term injury victim Joe Cassetti as well as Josh Roach with Bo Hanson also a game time scratch.

Jānis Voris who go the start in nets for the Flyers made his first stop after just 12 seconds when he blockered away a Gabe Bast shot from the circles. The home side were on the penalty kill in the 2^nd minute when Brodie Kay as called for hold as Bobo Carpenter drove the net. Voris denied Bast with a shot from the blue line but he could do nothing to prevent the visitors taking the lead with their man advantage when Bast saw his shot saved by the keepers pads but the puck fell for JJ Piccinich who found the top of the net. The Flyers were on their first power play of the night in the 5^th minute when Ben Lake was charged with a hook on Daniel Krenželok. Jackson Whistle made a solid save on a Massimo Carozza shot but moments later was lights out when he went post to post to stop  shot from Kieran Craig who was on the edge of his crease and the Giants completed the kill. In the 11^th minute Krenželok saw his shot deflect just past the post with Whistle unsighted and a minute later the Giants keeper made another fine save when a one timer from Michael Cichy from the slot caught him in the mask and forced a stop in play. The Giants doubled their lead in the 14^th minute when Karl Boudrias had all sorts of time in the high slot to pick his spot high into the net past a sprawling Voris. In the final seconds before the first buzzer Carozza tested Whistle with a back hand shot which he stopped with a pad save.

The Flyers got on the board in the 24^th minute when Krenželok put the puck on net from the point and Jordan Stallard got a fine tip on it in front of Whistle to send it into the net at the keepers near post. A minute later and Phélix Martineau forced a fine leg extension save from the visiting keeper who stopped the puck at his post. The Giants got their two goal lead back again in the 26^th minute with a similar goal to Fife’s as Elijiah Barriga tipped the puck put on net by Mike Lee just inside Voris’s post. The Flyers were back on the power play in the 27^th minute as Ben Lake was called for goalie interference. It was well into the two minutes before the Flyers were able to get anything set up but they almost pulled a goal back with a scramble around Whistle’s net with Ryan Foss and Lucas Chiodo both having chances to bury the puck. The Giants returned to full strength to return almost immediately to the power play as Martineau was given the gate for a slash on Kyle Osterberg. It took all of 9 seconds for the Giants to strike after some tic tac toe passing drew Voris out of position and JJ Piccinich picked up his second goal of the night. In the 31^st minute Voris made a good save with his pads from a Cameron Pound shot and a minute later Scott Conway returned the Flyers to the power play as he tripped Tyler Heidt. The Flyers almost gave up a short handed goal as Voris was called upon not once but twice to deny Bobo Carpenter and in the dying seconds of their man advantage the Flyers brought out another fine save from Whistle who showed lightning reactions to stop Craig from close quarters. The Giants returned to full strength but were soon back on the kill as Lake was penalised for interference. Zak Galambos came up with a big shot block on a one time shot from Michael Cichy as the Giants completed another kill only to be a man down again moments later as Osterberg sat for elbowing. The Giants threatened again short handed with Voris stopping a Jeff Baum effort and he then denied Carpenter on a 2 on 1 breakaway for the Giants who completed the kill. In the 35^th minute Voris absolutely stoned Lake with a sprawling save and the Giants ended the period killing yet another penalty as Barriga got the gate for interference. The Flyers again couldn’t get any momentum and on the buzzer there were offsetting minors called on Bast and Craig.

The Giants killed the remainder of the penalty to start the 3^rd period and after returning to full strength the Giants soon added another goal as a shot from the blue line from Pound was tipped on the way by David Goodwin and the puck crept inside the far post. The Giants were out of luck in the 46^th minute when Conway rang a shot off the post and within 90 seconds the Flyers reduced the arrears when Whistle left his crease to play a puck which he failed to handle correctly and Massimo Carozza calmly collected it and sniped the top corner of a largely empty net as a Giants defenseman tried to play goalie. Goodwin was in the box for the Giants in the 51^st minute and this time the Flyers power play got the job done. Whistle made saves on one timers by both Martineau and Chiodo but he could do nothing to stop a rasping drive from Cichy who walked into the puck from the high slot to pull another goal back. The visitors called their time out but the Flyers had their tails up and in the 53^rd minute it was suddenly a one shot game as Craig walked out from the half boards and picked the top corner on Whistle to bring the building alive. Moments later Charles-Antoine Paiement forced a save from Whistle as the Giants looked rattled and the Flyers seized their chance when Jordan Kawaguchi was given a delay of game penalty for shooting the puck over the glass. The Flyers got the play set up from the face off and some fine passing saw the puck end up on the stick of Heidt who had a yawning cage to hit with Whistle out of position and the game was tied up. Going in to the final minute Voris went behind his net to play the puck out on the glass but Piccinich shut off the boards and from the wall he put a shot on net as Voris scrambled back into position with the puck taking a nick of a Flyers stick to go five hole on the Fife keeper. A hattrick for the Giants forward and cruel break indeed for the Flyers. The Flyers called their time out and tried to get the extra skater out for Voris a couple of times when play resumed but the plays broke down. In the final few seconds Conway won a face off and pushed the puck goalwards before he followed up with a shot high into the net to seal the result. The game ended with a gathering the clans on the final buzzer with Voris engaging in a fight with Whistle after travelling the length of the ice along with Craig and Ciaran Long who also picked up penalties in the stramash.

Pic Credits – Jillian McFarlane and Derek Young

Fife Flyers are next at home on  Sunday 9th February 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.