Ice hockey – Flames aim to burn Capitals

Action at Murrayfield against Cardiff Devils. Picture by Ian Coyle

Challenge Cup, quarter-final, first-leg: Fife Flyers 3, Belfast Giants 3. Elite League: Braehead Clan 3, Guildford Flames 5.

Guildford Flames visit Murrayfield on Sunday (face-off 6pm) boosted by a road victory in Glasgow.

The Elite League newcomers came from 3-1 down to inflict a fourth straight defeat on Braehead Clan thanks to four unanswered goals in the final session.

Flames led 1-0 after three minutes but Ville Hamalainen, Mike Embach and Landon Oslanski fired the home side ahead.

The English side dug deep and earned their seventh win in eight games thanks to a 5-3 victory.

At Kirkcaldy, Fife Flyers clawed their way back into the Challenge Cup quarter-final with two late goals.

In-form Belfast Giants led 3-1 going into the second period of the first-leg in Kirkcaldy thanks to first period goals from David Rutherford, Glasgow-born Colin Shields and Darcy Murphy.

Evan Bloodoff countered for the home side on the power play but Todd Dutiaume’s men upped a gear in the middle session.

A power play strike from Carlo Finucci after 21 minutes and a leveller from Danick Gauthier less than six minutes later means the sides go into the second-leg in Northern Ireland on January 9 all-square.