Edinburgh Capitals 3-4 Hull Stingrays (SO)
The Hull Stingrays tonight completed their second four point weekend in two weeks and third of the season as they followed up Saturday nights shootout win over Braehead with another 4-3 shootout win, this time over the Edinburgh Capitals. The victory also means the Stingrays have matched the club record for consecutive wins in the Elite League with four - which was set between 15th October 2006 and 29th October 2006.
Once again without Tom Squires and Jereme Tendler, the Stingrays got off to a good start in the Scottish capital, opening the scoring in the first ten minutes through Matty Davies' seventh goal of the year after the puck was won down low and fed to the club's leading British pointscorer in front to finish low past Tomas Hiadlovsky.
The Stingrays would take just one minor penalty in the first period and it told, as they outshot and outplayed Edinburgh in their best period of the game.
In front of a large crowd at Murrayfield - boosted by GroupOn offer - Edinburgh youngster Jay King - who received plenty of ice-time and did not look out of place on the night - equalised for the Capitals as they countered with his shot from the hash marks beating Ben Bowns in the Stingrays net somewhat softly.
Moments after the face-off following the Caps goal, Stingrays forward Kyle Mariani while chasing for the puck collided with netminder Hiadlovsky - who was way out of his net. The Slovakian stopper went down for a period of time as he has done previously in Hull but would return with no sign of ill-health, although he would later step in to Sam Towner when playing the puck behind the net much to his displeasure.
A great forecheck, counter and then net crash from the Stingrays third line would eventually lead to Michael Dobron taking the Caps first penalty of the night and the visitors would make the most of their first opportunity.
Guillaume Doucet and Sylvain Cloutier would first be stopped by two great saves from Hiadlovsky on separate occasions before a great Pavel Gomeniuk pass from the point to Jason Silverthorn in front would see the Canadian - who is regularly booed on his return to Edinburgh - spin and open up a deserved 2-1 lead on 12.28.
The Stingrays had chances to extend their lead towards the end of the first but, first, Doucet was denied by Hiadlovsky following a great set up from Matty Davies between a Caps defenceman's legs before the Caps netminder got a piece of Mariani's shot - deflecting it just over the crossbar.
With just one penalty taken in the first period, and that with just 36 seconds remaining, the Stingrays descended into penalty trouble for the final two periods taking eight minors - four in each period.
Those penalties broke up the game in the Caps favour, handing them all of the momentum and resulted in the Stingrays being outshot 11-6 and 8-3.
Remarkably though the Stingrays penalty kill dug in time and again, until Edinburgh finally leveled 9.57 into the third period through player-coach Richard Hartmann - who broke between the Rays D and beat Bowns on a breakaway as Haywood had 24 hours earlier.
Following unrelenting Caps pressure - which the Stingrays mostly brought on themselves through penalty trouble - the goal had been coming and was just rewards for their play.
Nevertheless, Cloutier's side persevered and on their only powerplay of the third period - in which they had just three shots - again took the lead as a Doucet wrist shot just beat Hiadlovsky and trickled across the line for a Stingrays 3-2 lead.
Spearheaded by Canadian forward Jade Portwood, Edinburgh came straight back at the Stingrays and, having called a time-out and pulled Hiadlovsky, piled the pressure on allowing Peter Holecko to score with just 1.19 left on the clock, sending the game into overtime.
The Stingrays fared somewhat better in overtime, comfortably killing an Edinburgh powerplay following Gomeniuk's fourth minor penatly of the evening, but could not find the all important opening.
The ensuing penalty shots lasted somewhat longer than the night prior as Omar Pacha and Carl Lauzon tallies were leveled up by goals from Portwood - who took a puck to the face in overtime but would return to take part in the penalty shootout - and Dobron.
The shootout continued into sudden death before a majestic finish from Lauzon - who waited and waited before chipping the puck past Hiadlovsky - gave the Stingrays an advantage which Bowns would convert into the win with a save on Dobron.
The save completed a second brilliant match winning performance and second ever shootout win which he's won for his side from Bowns, while without Lauzon's clinical finishing - both in regulation and penalty shots - the result would have also been in doubt. Silverthorn, no doubt encouraged by the constant boos he received from his former fans, was also a driving force in the victory alongside Davies and Mariani.
Once again though, while the indiscipline and silly penalties in the second and third periods could've cost the Stingrays, they dug in defensively as a team - particularly on the penalty kill - and, despite not being at their best, claimed another invaluable Gardiner Conference and league victory.
The win maintains the Stingrays sixth place in the Elite League table, three points above the Coventry Blaze and eight points above the Cardiff Devils in the eighth and final playoff position, meanwhile they also sit second in the Gardiner Conference table - joint top on points with Dundee and five points ahead of Braehead.
The Stingrays are now riding a joint club record four game win streak and they can set a new record with a victory in Wednesday's home game with Braehead.
The Hull Stingrays tonight completed their second four point weekend in two weeks and third of the season as they followed up Saturday nights shootout win over Braehead with another 4-3 shootout win, this time over the Edinburgh Capitals. The victory also means the Stingrays have matched the club record for consecutive wins in the Elite League with four - which was set between 15th October 2006 and 29th October 2006.
Once again without Tom Squires and Jereme Tendler, the Stingrays got off to a good start in the Scottish capital, opening the scoring in the first ten minutes through Matty Davies' seventh goal of the year after the puck was won down low and fed to the club's leading British pointscorer in front to finish low past Tomas Hiadlovsky.
The Stingrays would take just one minor penalty in the first period and it told, as they outshot and outplayed Edinburgh in their best period of the game.
In front of a large crowd at Murrayfield - boosted by GroupOn offer - Edinburgh youngster Jay King - who received plenty of ice-time and did not look out of place on the night - equalised for the Capitals as they countered with his shot from the hash marks beating Ben Bowns in the Stingrays net somewhat softly.
Moments after the face-off following the Caps goal, Stingrays forward Kyle Mariani while chasing for the puck collided with netminder Hiadlovsky - who was way out of his net. The Slovakian stopper went down for a period of time as he has done previously in Hull but would return with no sign of ill-health, although he would later step in to Sam Towner when playing the puck behind the net much to his displeasure.
A great forecheck, counter and then net crash from the Stingrays third line would eventually lead to Michael Dobron taking the Caps first penalty of the night and the visitors would make the most of their first opportunity.
Guillaume Doucet and Sylvain Cloutier would first be stopped by two great saves from Hiadlovsky on separate occasions before a great Pavel Gomeniuk pass from the point to Jason Silverthorn in front would see the Canadian - who is regularly booed on his return to Edinburgh - spin and open up a deserved 2-1 lead on 12.28.
The Stingrays had chances to extend their lead towards the end of the first but, first, Doucet was denied by Hiadlovsky following a great set up from Matty Davies between a Caps defenceman's legs before the Caps netminder got a piece of Mariani's shot - deflecting it just over the crossbar.
With just one penalty taken in the first period, and that with just 36 seconds remaining, the Stingrays descended into penalty trouble for the final two periods taking eight minors - four in each period.
Those penalties broke up the game in the Caps favour, handing them all of the momentum and resulted in the Stingrays being outshot 11-6 and 8-3.
Remarkably though the Stingrays penalty kill dug in time and again, until Edinburgh finally leveled 9.57 into the third period through player-coach Richard Hartmann - who broke between the Rays D and beat Bowns on a breakaway as Haywood had 24 hours earlier.
Following unrelenting Caps pressure - which the Stingrays mostly brought on themselves through penalty trouble - the goal had been coming and was just rewards for their play.
Nevertheless, Cloutier's side persevered and on their only powerplay of the third period - in which they had just three shots - again took the lead as a Doucet wrist shot just beat Hiadlovsky and trickled across the line for a Stingrays 3-2 lead.
Spearheaded by Canadian forward Jade Portwood, Edinburgh came straight back at the Stingrays and, having called a time-out and pulled Hiadlovsky, piled the pressure on allowing Peter Holecko to score with just 1.19 left on the clock, sending the game into overtime.
The Stingrays fared somewhat better in overtime, comfortably killing an Edinburgh powerplay following Gomeniuk's fourth minor penatly of the evening, but could not find the all important opening.
The ensuing penalty shots lasted somewhat longer than the night prior as Omar Pacha and Carl Lauzon tallies were leveled up by goals from Portwood - who took a puck to the face in overtime but would return to take part in the penalty shootout - and Dobron.
The shootout continued into sudden death before a majestic finish from Lauzon - who waited and waited before chipping the puck past Hiadlovsky - gave the Stingrays an advantage which Bowns would convert into the win with a save on Dobron.
The save completed a second brilliant match winning performance and second ever shootout win which he's won for his side from Bowns, while without Lauzon's clinical finishing - both in regulation and penalty shots - the result would have also been in doubt. Silverthorn, no doubt encouraged by the constant boos he received from his former fans, was also a driving force in the victory alongside Davies and Mariani.
Once again though, while the indiscipline and silly penalties in the second and third periods could've cost the Stingrays, they dug in defensively as a team - particularly on the penalty kill - and, despite not being at their best, claimed another invaluable Gardiner Conference and league victory.
The win maintains the Stingrays sixth place in the Elite League table, three points above the Coventry Blaze and eight points above the Cardiff Devils in the eighth and final playoff position, meanwhile they also sit second in the Gardiner Conference table - joint top on points with Dundee and five points ahead of Braehead.
The Stingrays are now riding a joint club record four game win streak and they can set a new record with a victory in Wednesday's home game with Braehead.
FBB Three Stars
1. Ben Bowns (26 saves)
2. Carl Lauzon (0+1, 2 shootout goals)
3. Jason Silverthorn (1+1)
