Edinburgh Capitals 6-2 Hull Stingrays
Sylvain Cloutier's Hull Stingrays tonight ended a dismal week with their third consecutive loss by way of a 6-2 defeat at Murrayfield against the Edinburgh Capitals.
Off the back of a heart wrenching last minute defeat in Glasgow against the Braehead Clan, the Stingrays traveled to the Scottish capital looking to salvage something from their first of two double headers north of the border this season.
The game got off to an end-to-end, up tempo start, however, a cross-checking minor penalty on Jeff Smith halted that free flowing play and gifted the Capitals a powerplay from which they would take full advantage, not just on this occasion but all night long.
With the Stingrays a man down, Curtis Leinweber - one of two new signings for the home side - skated into the zone on the rush and picked his spot past Bowns to score the first of three consecutive powerplay goals for the Caps and open the scoring after 4.48.
Less than two minutes later though the Rays responded, Dominic Osman continuing his rich vein of scoring form to similarly pick his spot when given time and space just above the hashmarks, leveling the score.
The sides then traded chances, with Matty Davies choosing to pass Jereme Tendler when presented with a space in the Caps defence only for the Canadian to miss fire the one timer and the Caps denied by a diving save from Bowns when presented with an all but empty net.
Penalties on Martin Cingel and Marcis Zembergs then gave the Stingrays a huge two man advantage on 12 minutes. The Rays looked dangerous on the ensuing powerplay - continually applying the pressure in the Caps zone - but couldn't find the all important chance thanks to a combination of good work from the Caps defensively and some picky shooting on the Rays behalf. Again, as with the Caps earlier powerplay goal - this would prove to be a reoccurring theme throughout the night.
In comparison to the night prior, the Stingrays had very much impressed in the opening period and ended it in the ascendancy - outshooting the Caps 11-7, that would all change though in the middle stanza.
Two powerplay goals in four minutes and 11 seconds - following a high sticking double minor on Ryan Hand and a high sticking minor penalty on Tom Squires soon after - then turned the game on its head, sucking all the life out of the Stingrays game and giving the Caps all of the momentum for the remainder of the fixture.
Leinweber - who ended the night with two goals and three assists - finished some nice work from player-coach Richard Hartmann to give the Caps a 2-1 lead before Hartmann himself netted a third at the backdoor with Bowns this time unable to stop the shot with a sprawling save on 28.31.
Martin Ondrej then pulled one back for the visitors - who, in contrast to the first period, were out shot 13-7 thanks in part to the high sticking penalties - racing into the zone, delaying his shot before squeezing the puck home short side in a lovely goal first goal of the season for the Slovakian.
It was merely a consolation though as - despite two powerplay opportunities - the Rays couldn't muster an equalising goal.
They would pay for that late in the period as, soon after a Rays powerplay had expired, Cingel and Zembergs raced up the ice two-on-one before the latter almost half-volleyed the set up pass from Cingel past Bowns for a huge 4-2 lead heading into the third period.
The Stingrays would never truly recover from the six minutes of high-sticking penalties and, in truth, a poor second period. Hartmann added a fourth powerplay goal on 52.20, nudging home a loose puck sat in front of Bowns before Capitals top scorer Rene Jarolin finally got in on the action netting a sixth with less than three minutes to go to seal a 6-2 win.
The defeat sealed a torrid weekend and, indeed, week for the Rays - who now find themselves in the midst of a three game slump with two fixtures against Nottingham as well as games against Sheffield and Cardiff to follow prior to Christmas.
While Cloutier's side undoubtedly deserved something for their efforts against the Clan with a late and harsh penalty on Jason Silverthorn costly, the same cannot unfortunately be said of their defeat tonight.
Edinburgh unsurprisingly look like a revitalised side with Leinweber and Brent Patry in the line-up and the Stingrays seem to be missing the speed and intensity of Cale Tanaka - who should soon return from injury.
With that said, Sam Towner has received regular ice time in Tanaka's place and didn't look out of place and the continued goalscoring exploits of Osman and Tendler are encouraging.
Most would agree that where the Stingrays are struggling is in defence with seven conceded in midweek against the Clan and six against the Capitals tonight. Likewise, had the penalty kill and powerplay been more efficient then - much easier to say than do, of course - it seems very likely that they would be returning with a point or two that they deserve for their efforts in Scotland
Cloutier and his squad will be undoubtedly be disappointed with one victory, a shootout loss and three points - from ten available - during their five game Gardiner Conference run. But with things likely to get harder rather than easier in the next two weeks with games against Nottingham at home (15th December) and away (9th December), the Stingrays will need all the support they can get on and off-ice.
Sylvain Cloutier's Hull Stingrays tonight ended a dismal week with their third consecutive loss by way of a 6-2 defeat at Murrayfield against the Edinburgh Capitals.
Off the back of a heart wrenching last minute defeat in Glasgow against the Braehead Clan, the Stingrays traveled to the Scottish capital looking to salvage something from their first of two double headers north of the border this season.
The game got off to an end-to-end, up tempo start, however, a cross-checking minor penalty on Jeff Smith halted that free flowing play and gifted the Capitals a powerplay from which they would take full advantage, not just on this occasion but all night long.
With the Stingrays a man down, Curtis Leinweber - one of two new signings for the home side - skated into the zone on the rush and picked his spot past Bowns to score the first of three consecutive powerplay goals for the Caps and open the scoring after 4.48.
Less than two minutes later though the Rays responded, Dominic Osman continuing his rich vein of scoring form to similarly pick his spot when given time and space just above the hashmarks, leveling the score.
The sides then traded chances, with Matty Davies choosing to pass Jereme Tendler when presented with a space in the Caps defence only for the Canadian to miss fire the one timer and the Caps denied by a diving save from Bowns when presented with an all but empty net.
Penalties on Martin Cingel and Marcis Zembergs then gave the Stingrays a huge two man advantage on 12 minutes. The Rays looked dangerous on the ensuing powerplay - continually applying the pressure in the Caps zone - but couldn't find the all important chance thanks to a combination of good work from the Caps defensively and some picky shooting on the Rays behalf. Again, as with the Caps earlier powerplay goal - this would prove to be a reoccurring theme throughout the night.
In comparison to the night prior, the Stingrays had very much impressed in the opening period and ended it in the ascendancy - outshooting the Caps 11-7, that would all change though in the middle stanza.
Two powerplay goals in four minutes and 11 seconds - following a high sticking double minor on Ryan Hand and a high sticking minor penalty on Tom Squires soon after - then turned the game on its head, sucking all the life out of the Stingrays game and giving the Caps all of the momentum for the remainder of the fixture.
Leinweber - who ended the night with two goals and three assists - finished some nice work from player-coach Richard Hartmann to give the Caps a 2-1 lead before Hartmann himself netted a third at the backdoor with Bowns this time unable to stop the shot with a sprawling save on 28.31.
Martin Ondrej then pulled one back for the visitors - who, in contrast to the first period, were out shot 13-7 thanks in part to the high sticking penalties - racing into the zone, delaying his shot before squeezing the puck home short side in a lovely goal first goal of the season for the Slovakian.
It was merely a consolation though as - despite two powerplay opportunities - the Rays couldn't muster an equalising goal.
They would pay for that late in the period as, soon after a Rays powerplay had expired, Cingel and Zembergs raced up the ice two-on-one before the latter almost half-volleyed the set up pass from Cingel past Bowns for a huge 4-2 lead heading into the third period.
The Stingrays would never truly recover from the six minutes of high-sticking penalties and, in truth, a poor second period. Hartmann added a fourth powerplay goal on 52.20, nudging home a loose puck sat in front of Bowns before Capitals top scorer Rene Jarolin finally got in on the action netting a sixth with less than three minutes to go to seal a 6-2 win.
The defeat sealed a torrid weekend and, indeed, week for the Rays - who now find themselves in the midst of a three game slump with two fixtures against Nottingham as well as games against Sheffield and Cardiff to follow prior to Christmas.
While Cloutier's side undoubtedly deserved something for their efforts against the Clan with a late and harsh penalty on Jason Silverthorn costly, the same cannot unfortunately be said of their defeat tonight.
Edinburgh unsurprisingly look like a revitalised side with Leinweber and Brent Patry in the line-up and the Stingrays seem to be missing the speed and intensity of Cale Tanaka - who should soon return from injury.
With that said, Sam Towner has received regular ice time in Tanaka's place and didn't look out of place and the continued goalscoring exploits of Osman and Tendler are encouraging.
Most would agree that where the Stingrays are struggling is in defence with seven conceded in midweek against the Clan and six against the Capitals tonight. Likewise, had the penalty kill and powerplay been more efficient then - much easier to say than do, of course - it seems very likely that they would be returning with a point or two that they deserve for their efforts in Scotland
Cloutier and his squad will be undoubtedly be disappointed with one victory, a shootout loss and three points - from ten available - during their five game Gardiner Conference run. But with things likely to get harder rather than easier in the next two weeks with games against Nottingham at home (15th December) and away (9th December), the Stingrays will need all the support they can get on and off-ice.
FBB Three Stars
1. Ben Bowns
2. Matty Davies
3. Sam Towner
