Braehead Clan 4-3 Hull Stingrays
After a slow start, the Hull Stingrays tonight put up a valiant fight but eventually fell to their second defeat in two games against the Braehead Clan - losing out to a Drew Miller game winning powerplay goal with less than 40 seconds remaining in a 4-3 defeat.
The third and final instalment of three consecutive games between the sides started with the home side dominating large periods of play and they eventually made their superior possession pay. Locked out NHLer Drew Miller with some strong play to set the puck up in the Stingrays zone on the powerplay before Robert Farmer fed Ash Goldie in front to fire the home team into the lead.
No doubt the Stingrays started slowly as they were outshot 8-4 in the opening period and deserved to trail at the first intermission, however, they would improve significantly in the final two thirds of the game.
An uncharacteristic rush on the puck in the Rays defensive zone by former Stingray Craig Mitchell then allowed Goldie to set up Jade Galbraith - who neatly deked around netminder Ben Bowns and finished into an empty net for a 2-0 lead.
The Stingrays were then sparked into life by a physical and aggressive shift from forward line consisting of Sylvain Cloutier, Sam Towner and Ryan Hand - who penned the Clan in their own zone and crafted a number of hard nosed chances.
Feeding off that momentum, Janis Ozolins rifled one past underfire Clan netminder Garrett Zemlak - after losing an edge on his skate - with seven minutes remaining in the period to narrow the deficit to one.
With 1.49 left in the second period the visitors continued their charge, equalising through Jason Silverthorn after a poor Clan change allowed the Rays to break and the Canadian to neatly jink around Zemlak and squeeze the puck in near side.
While the Clan were always dangerous offensively through player-coach Jordan Krestanovich, Miller and Goldie in particular, the perseverance of the Stingrays suddenly found them battling away for important Gardiner Conference points despite an uneasy start to the game.
The home side again took the lead 53 seconds into the third as Clan man of the match Goldie wheeled in all alone from the corner and bagged his second of the game high over the shoulder of Bowns.
Cloutier's side continued to plug away though they levelled the game at 3-3 through Jereme Tendler - whose precise shot from an acute angle found the five-hole of Zemlak with 14 minutes to go.
Understandably, the Rays would have more than settled for a point from the trek to Glasgow and, indeed, on balance were probably worth a point.
They looked good to seal that point as time ticked below the two minute mark before coincidental penalties on Robert Farmer and Martin Ondrej saw both sides reduced to four men with 1.58 remaining.
Moments later, a harsh interference penalty on Silverthorn - who returned from possible injury on Thursday night to put in one of his best showings this season - then crucially forced the Rays to kill a 4-on-3 with 1.44 left to go. Player-coach Cloutier and the Stingrays bench were undoubtedly incredulous with, what would turn out to be a costly call made by referee Rob Cowan
A minute later and Miller scrapped the puck home to give the Glasgow side a 4-3 lead with 40 seconds to go.
The Stingrays pulled netminder Bowns - who brilliantly rebounded from one of his poorer showings in midweek - but wouldn't force another tying goal, giving the Clan two consecutive victories over the Rays and a big 3-1 lead in the sides series this season.
A trip down the M8 to Edinburgh to take on the Capitals tonight completes a five game run against Gardiner Conference sides which the Rays will be hoping to end on a high.
After a slow start, the Hull Stingrays tonight put up a valiant fight but eventually fell to their second defeat in two games against the Braehead Clan - losing out to a Drew Miller game winning powerplay goal with less than 40 seconds remaining in a 4-3 defeat.
The third and final instalment of three consecutive games between the sides started with the home side dominating large periods of play and they eventually made their superior possession pay. Locked out NHLer Drew Miller with some strong play to set the puck up in the Stingrays zone on the powerplay before Robert Farmer fed Ash Goldie in front to fire the home team into the lead.
No doubt the Stingrays started slowly as they were outshot 8-4 in the opening period and deserved to trail at the first intermission, however, they would improve significantly in the final two thirds of the game.
An uncharacteristic rush on the puck in the Rays defensive zone by former Stingray Craig Mitchell then allowed Goldie to set up Jade Galbraith - who neatly deked around netminder Ben Bowns and finished into an empty net for a 2-0 lead.
The Stingrays were then sparked into life by a physical and aggressive shift from forward line consisting of Sylvain Cloutier, Sam Towner and Ryan Hand - who penned the Clan in their own zone and crafted a number of hard nosed chances.
Feeding off that momentum, Janis Ozolins rifled one past underfire Clan netminder Garrett Zemlak - after losing an edge on his skate - with seven minutes remaining in the period to narrow the deficit to one.
With 1.49 left in the second period the visitors continued their charge, equalising through Jason Silverthorn after a poor Clan change allowed the Rays to break and the Canadian to neatly jink around Zemlak and squeeze the puck in near side.
While the Clan were always dangerous offensively through player-coach Jordan Krestanovich, Miller and Goldie in particular, the perseverance of the Stingrays suddenly found them battling away for important Gardiner Conference points despite an uneasy start to the game.
The home side again took the lead 53 seconds into the third as Clan man of the match Goldie wheeled in all alone from the corner and bagged his second of the game high over the shoulder of Bowns.
Cloutier's side continued to plug away though they levelled the game at 3-3 through Jereme Tendler - whose precise shot from an acute angle found the five-hole of Zemlak with 14 minutes to go.
Understandably, the Rays would have more than settled for a point from the trek to Glasgow and, indeed, on balance were probably worth a point.
They looked good to seal that point as time ticked below the two minute mark before coincidental penalties on Robert Farmer and Martin Ondrej saw both sides reduced to four men with 1.58 remaining.
Moments later, a harsh interference penalty on Silverthorn - who returned from possible injury on Thursday night to put in one of his best showings this season - then crucially forced the Rays to kill a 4-on-3 with 1.44 left to go. Player-coach Cloutier and the Stingrays bench were undoubtedly incredulous with, what would turn out to be a costly call made by referee Rob Cowan
A minute later and Miller scrapped the puck home to give the Glasgow side a 4-3 lead with 40 seconds to go.
The Stingrays pulled netminder Bowns - who brilliantly rebounded from one of his poorer showings in midweek - but wouldn't force another tying goal, giving the Clan two consecutive victories over the Rays and a big 3-1 lead in the sides series this season.
A trip down the M8 to Edinburgh to take on the Capitals tonight completes a five game run against Gardiner Conference sides which the Rays will be hoping to end on a high.
FBB Three Stars
1. Jason Silverthorn
2. Ben Bowns
3. Sam Towner
Match Highlights
Match Interview
Match Highlights
Match Interview
