EIHL Match Reports 07/02/10

7th February 2010

Coventry Blaze 5 Nottingham Panthers 3
 
Perhaps a key night in the quest for the league title as Blaze came out on top in this crucial top of the table battle against Panthers and the other challengers Belfast went down in Sheffield.
 
Blaze now have a five point advantage over both Giants and Panthers and it looks theirs to lose now.
 
However, this game saw Blaze only manage to pull clear of a determined Panthers in the third period as they hit two without reply, including an empty netter to seal the vital two points.
 
Needless to say it was chippy throughout with both sides knowing the importance of the game and there was early goal action at both ends as firstly Greg Chambers (25th) fired Blaze ahead at 3.21 only for Jade Galbraith (19th) to level for Panthers at 4.09. The visitors then took the lead at 9.14 with a strike from David Clarke (30th) but this was cancelled out by a powerplay counter for Blaze by Greg Owen (18th) at 13.58.
 
The second session saw Blaze dominate and outshoot Panthers by 24 to 13 but fail to put the game away. The home side did get an early goal with Danny Stewart (9th) scoring on a delayed penalty call while his team were shorthanded on the ice at 21.12 but the visitors shrugged that off to tie the game again at 26.44 with a 5 on 3 powerplay effort by Cameron Mann (28th).
 
Into the third period and such a vital twenty minutes in the season of both sides. It was Blaze who grabbed the go-ahead goal at 45.40, a powerplay counter from recent signing Brad Cruikshank (18th) and try as they might, with 13 shots on the Blaze goal, there was no way past Peter Hirsch in the home net and the victory was sealed when Russell Cowley (12th) hit the empty net with 31 seconds remaining.    
 
Period Scores: 2-2, 1-1, 2-0
Penalty Mins: Cov 29 - Not 37
Powerplay: Cov 2/10 - Not 1/6
Shots On: Peter Hirsch 34 - Kevin St Pierre 46 + 1 ENG
Referee: Dean Smith

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Hull Stingrays 5 Newcastle Vipers 3
 
Stingrays player/coach Sylvain Cloutier celebrated his 1000th professional game in the best possible style as his side bounced back from their 9-1 humiliation in Nottingham last night to take the points from Vipers, hitting two without reply in the third period for the win.
 
It's a first win in four for Stingrays but Vipers only have one victory from those same number of games.
 
An exciting opening session saw four goals shared with Konstantin Kalmikov (25th) firing Stingrays ahead at 7.25 only for Nathan Salem (1st) to level for Vipers at 12.21. Jason Silverthorn (12th) edged Stingrays ahead once again at 14.52 on the powerplay but back came Vipers to tie for the second time at 16.45 via the stick of new signing Brent Hughes (1st).
 
The second session saw late goal action with a powerplay strike by Jerraime Domish (5th) seeing Vipers ahead at 36.44 only for Pavel Gomenyuk (4th) to restore equality once more at 38.48.
 
Into the third period and it was all Stingrays as they outshot Vipers by 18 to 2. The pressure had to pay off and it did - but very late on as Michel Robinson was finally beaten by a shot from Silverthorn (13th) on the powerplay at 56.02. The insurance was then added into the empty net with 4 seconds remaining with the scorer being Kalmikov (26th).
 
Period Scores: 2-2, 1-1, 2-0
Penalty Mins: Hul 2  New 8
Powerplay: Hul 2/4 - New 1/1
Shots On: Martins Raitums 18 - Michel Robinson 44 + 1 ENG
 
Game Notes:
Newcastle goaltender Michel Robinson dressed in his 100th career EIHL game
 

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Sheffield Steelers 4 Belfast Giants 3

Giants suffered possibly a fatal blow in their league challenge as they went down against a Steelers side who they had beaten 3-1 in the same venue last night.
 
And perhaps the visitors only had themselves to blame as three of the four home goals were scored on the powerplay, with Giants giving up no less than ten powerplay opportunities to the home side.
 
The opening period took some time to open up as both sides were keen to give nothing away but Steelers opened the scoring at 14.53 with Jonathan Zion (4th) firing home. Giants hit back to equalise with Jeff Szwez (25th) finding the target at 18.19 on the powerplay but it was the home side who took a lead into the period break when Kevin Bolibruck (4th) scored at 19.35 on the powerplay.
 
The second session saw Giants tie the game again at 23.47 as Szwez (26th) hit his second of the game but Steelers regained their lead with a powerplay effort by Jeff Legue (29th) at 25.57.
 
Steelers gained a two-goal advantage early in the third period with Doug Sheppard (13th) netting on the powerplay at 46.27 and with Giants struggling to gain any momentum due to a succession of trips to the penalty box they did well to stay in the game and in fact ensured an interesting finish when Pierre-Luc Faubert (15th) scored at 58.58 just after goaltender Stephen Murphy had been withdrawn.
 
Despite pulling Murphy again in the final minute Giants could not force the tying goal and their league title hopes now rest with a Coventry collapse or a Giants unbeaten run to the end of the season.  
 
Period Scores: 2-1, 1-1, 1-1
Penalty Mins: She 8 - Bel 30
Powerplay: She 3/10 - Bel 1/4
Shots On: Andrew Verner 20 - Stephen Murphy 31
Referee: Andy Carson