The Excel Hull Stingrays were tonight condemned to their third defeat in four games away from the Hull Arena this season as they left Whitley Bay with a 5-3 loss to Elite League rivals the Newcastle Vipers.
Sylvain Cloutier's side got off to the worst possible start, Latvian Toms Hartmanis managing to work his way around the outside of fellow Latvian Kris Grundmanis to fire past Boucher for the Vipers first after just 56 seconds.
That start got the Rays off on the completely wrong foot in the intimidating and tight surroundings of Whitley Bay and it would taken them much of the first period to finally find their feet.
In that time the Vipers would go on to punish the Rays with powerplay goals from Kyle Sibley and Patrik Forsbacka in the first period before Trevor Read, who was part of a Stingrays blueline that at times had issues at the back, stuffed past Newcastle keeper Charlie Effinger on 17 minutes to net his first for the club on a 2-on-1 opportunity.
Jason Silverthorn, who at times seemed the only player capable of easily gaining the zone, then appeared to get the visitors right back in the game with a second powerplay goal of the game that beat Effinger high to reduce the deficit to one.
However, much like Wednesday night against the Steelers, the Rays poor concentration allowed a quick response from their opponents as Dean Holland's goal killed of any momentum they had gained from an improved early second period showing.
The Vipers, largely thanks to poor Rays defence and a solid showing from netminder Effinger, deserved their lead, despite the Stingrays twice hitting the post, and they further extended that advantage three minutes into the third with Forsbacka gratefully netting his second of the game and fifth of the year to all but end the Stingrays resistance.
While the game was effectively ended as a tie with that goal, the Stingrays improved right throughout the game and as the third wore on a mini Rays revival began as the Vipers looked to sit back and take the points.
A third powerplay goal of the night followed for the Rays as Matty Davies netted his own first of the year after hard work from rookie Andrew Coburn set him up at the back post but that would be it for the night.
The Rays continued to push forward but the killer edge that they lacked all game long failed to materialise and, with their defence failing to keep out a stringy Newcastle side well drilled and used to playing at Whitley Bay, the Vipers claimed just their second win of the year.
Cloutier's side now face a massive ask to claim anything from this weekend with a fixture at the Hull Arena tomorrow night against a high flying Nottingham Panthers side that last night gave Dundee a lesson in hockey, demolishing the Stars 12-2.
Rays rating: 5
Stingray scorers: Read, Silverthorn, Davies
Newcastle scorers: Hartmanis, Sibley, Forsbacka (2), Holland
SOG: 30-38
PIM: 21-13
FBB MOM: Jason Silverthorn (1+1)
