Hull Stingrays 4-2 Dundee Stars
The Hull Stingrays tonight extended their club record unbeaten run in the Elite League to six games, beating Gardiner Conference rivals the Dundee Stars for the first time this season by four goals to two.
In front of one of the largest crowds of the season at the Hull Arena, the Stingrays tested the superstitions imposed thanks to their recent winning streak by changing their lineup to include forward Jereme Tendler - following a spell on the sidelines with a groin injury.
The Canadian - who still didn't appear 100% fit throughout the game - would be involved in the Stingrays first goal of the night but not before second placed Stars took the lead.
With Pavel Gomeniuk sitting a two minute minor penalty for a blatant infringement in the Stars zone during a Rays man advantage, danger man Nikita Kashirsky was given three bites at a rebound in front of Ben Bowns before eventually bundling home the opening on the powerplay after 3.35.
A response was not long in coming though and - despite both sides struggling to maintain puck possession in the offensive zone on the man advantage - the Stingrays equaliser would also come on the powerplay.
For once the home side were able to instill some calm to their build up and puck as both Jerry Pollastrone and Nico Sacchetti sat minor penalties giving them a crucial five-on-three. Gomeniuk made up for his earlier error by feeding the puck to Tendler - who in turn fired a cross crease pass for Elite League leading scorer Guillaume Doucet to one time past netminder Dan Bakala and level the score at 1-1 after just 6.37
Despite what may seem like an entertaining start to the game, both sides had made a relatively flat, scrappy start with Dundee edging the opening period overall and that would continue into the second period.
Jeff Hutchins side - who have been the Elite League's surprise package so far this season - would take a lead into the third period. That would largely be thanks to a moment of misfortune for netminder Bowns - who would face a routine shot from his left face-off circle by Stars forward Sacchetti, only for that shot to handcuff the netminder and slip between his nearside arm and body.
The goal handed the Stars a pivotal advantage heading into the third period, however, to say that that advantage was solely down to Bowns' mistake would be incredibly cruel on a netminder who has performed heroics during the club's winning run.
More to the point, the Stingrays had been far from their best - as had Dundee - and required some improvement to get themselves back into the game.
Knowing that they were still well within a shout of winning such a crucial conference game - not least to further extending their winning streak - the Stingrays came out all guns blazing in the third period.
While it was far from the most free flowing offensive hockey ever seen, it was mighty effective against the Stars and was by far as dominant and purposeful as either side had been in the game.
The Stingrays simply didn't let up and, after the puck slipped off the end of Matty Davies' stick when presented with net to aim at and Tendler rang the cross bar, they finally got their reward.
Once again Doucet was picked out hovering at the back post - this time by linemate Carl Lauzon - only for Bakala to seeming stop the French-Canadian's bullet of a one-timer on this occasion. However, the shot squirmed out of the netminders body and dropped to the ice, allowing player-coach Sylvain Cloutier to prod home the equaliser and send the large but unusually quiet home fans into a frenzy on 51.55.
Cloutier's side weren't done there though and less than two minutes later struck gold on their mission for a sixth successive win as, on a three-on-two, Tendler dropped the puck to defenceman Omar Pacha - who was given what seemed like all the time in the world to pick his spot and rifle it past Bakala for a 3-2 Stingrays lead.
There would be no turning back for the Stingrays and they closed out the remaining minutes with ease as the Stars mustered just five shots to their 21 in the third period offensive blitz.
Gomeniuk - who's penalty earlier had proven so costly - sealed the win and the Stingrays club record sixth win in a row with an empty net goal from his own zone with less than 60 seconds left on the clock.
It has to be said that the Stingrays have at times played far better hockey this season and lost. That they can now play what some might term as below par but then come good when it really matters in the third period is a testament to the team Cloutier has built.
While the Rays will be all too aware that one swallow doesn't make a summer and there are still two and a half months of highs and lows remaining this season, whatever the outcome of the season, they can be mightily proud of setting a record that many Stingrays fans will have never have dreamt was possible.
The Stingrays - who sit four points clear at the top of the Gardiner Conference and sixth in the Elite League, just four points from second - now take their six match unbeaten run back up to Scotland to take on the Braehead Clan for the third time in eight days hoping to make it seven.
The Hull Stingrays tonight extended their club record unbeaten run in the Elite League to six games, beating Gardiner Conference rivals the Dundee Stars for the first time this season by four goals to two.
In front of one of the largest crowds of the season at the Hull Arena, the Stingrays tested the superstitions imposed thanks to their recent winning streak by changing their lineup to include forward Jereme Tendler - following a spell on the sidelines with a groin injury.
The Canadian - who still didn't appear 100% fit throughout the game - would be involved in the Stingrays first goal of the night but not before second placed Stars took the lead.
With Pavel Gomeniuk sitting a two minute minor penalty for a blatant infringement in the Stars zone during a Rays man advantage, danger man Nikita Kashirsky was given three bites at a rebound in front of Ben Bowns before eventually bundling home the opening on the powerplay after 3.35.
A response was not long in coming though and - despite both sides struggling to maintain puck possession in the offensive zone on the man advantage - the Stingrays equaliser would also come on the powerplay.
For once the home side were able to instill some calm to their build up and puck as both Jerry Pollastrone and Nico Sacchetti sat minor penalties giving them a crucial five-on-three. Gomeniuk made up for his earlier error by feeding the puck to Tendler - who in turn fired a cross crease pass for Elite League leading scorer Guillaume Doucet to one time past netminder Dan Bakala and level the score at 1-1 after just 6.37
Despite what may seem like an entertaining start to the game, both sides had made a relatively flat, scrappy start with Dundee edging the opening period overall and that would continue into the second period.
Jeff Hutchins side - who have been the Elite League's surprise package so far this season - would take a lead into the third period. That would largely be thanks to a moment of misfortune for netminder Bowns - who would face a routine shot from his left face-off circle by Stars forward Sacchetti, only for that shot to handcuff the netminder and slip between his nearside arm and body.
The goal handed the Stars a pivotal advantage heading into the third period, however, to say that that advantage was solely down to Bowns' mistake would be incredibly cruel on a netminder who has performed heroics during the club's winning run.
More to the point, the Stingrays had been far from their best - as had Dundee - and required some improvement to get themselves back into the game.
Knowing that they were still well within a shout of winning such a crucial conference game - not least to further extending their winning streak - the Stingrays came out all guns blazing in the third period.
While it was far from the most free flowing offensive hockey ever seen, it was mighty effective against the Stars and was by far as dominant and purposeful as either side had been in the game.
The Stingrays simply didn't let up and, after the puck slipped off the end of Matty Davies' stick when presented with net to aim at and Tendler rang the cross bar, they finally got their reward.
Once again Doucet was picked out hovering at the back post - this time by linemate Carl Lauzon - only for Bakala to seeming stop the French-Canadian's bullet of a one-timer on this occasion. However, the shot squirmed out of the netminders body and dropped to the ice, allowing player-coach Sylvain Cloutier to prod home the equaliser and send the large but unusually quiet home fans into a frenzy on 51.55.
Cloutier's side weren't done there though and less than two minutes later struck gold on their mission for a sixth successive win as, on a three-on-two, Tendler dropped the puck to defenceman Omar Pacha - who was given what seemed like all the time in the world to pick his spot and rifle it past Bakala for a 3-2 Stingrays lead.
There would be no turning back for the Stingrays and they closed out the remaining minutes with ease as the Stars mustered just five shots to their 21 in the third period offensive blitz.
Gomeniuk - who's penalty earlier had proven so costly - sealed the win and the Stingrays club record sixth win in a row with an empty net goal from his own zone with less than 60 seconds left on the clock.
It has to be said that the Stingrays have at times played far better hockey this season and lost. That they can now play what some might term as below par but then come good when it really matters in the third period is a testament to the team Cloutier has built.
While the Rays will be all too aware that one swallow doesn't make a summer and there are still two and a half months of highs and lows remaining this season, whatever the outcome of the season, they can be mightily proud of setting a record that many Stingrays fans will have never have dreamt was possible.
The Stingrays - who sit four points clear at the top of the Gardiner Conference and sixth in the Elite League, just four points from second - now take their six match unbeaten run back up to Scotland to take on the Braehead Clan for the third time in eight days hoping to make it seven.
FBB Three Stars
1. Omar Pacha (1+0)
2. Ben Bowns (23 saves)
3. Sylvain Cloutier (1+1)
