Fife Flyers coach Todd Dutiaume (pictured) was smiles better after guiding his men to a 3-1 home success over Cardiff Devils and snapping a six-game losing streak against the Welsh combine.
The welcome win also gained revenge for a heavy defeat at the Viola Arena early in their Elite League campaign.
Fife lost 5-1 in the Principality on their only visit so far this season on October 2, but Michael McNicolas fired-up the home side when he opened the scoring for the home side after 16 minutes. Greg Chase and Imants Lescovs set up the chance.
And the scoreline stayed that way until five minutes from the end of the middle session, Justin Crandall levelling on the power play with Jonas Emmerdahl called for interference and sitting in the sin bin.
That strike came at 35min 50sec but Fife recovered quickly and edged ahead for the second time at 36min 13sec when Carson Stadnyk was set up by McNicolas.
And the security came with 40 seconds remaining when Matthew Carter slotted home unassisted on an empty net after Devils had withdrawn their netminder in a bid to salvage the game.
Fife were outshot 57-31 with 17 fired on Shane Owen in the first, 24 in the middle period and 16 in the third against 12 from Fife in the opener seven in the second and 12 in the final session.
Elsewhere, British forward Lewis Hook slotted home less than three minutes from time as Belfast Giants denied Glasgow Clan in the Scottish side’s first Elite League game of the season.
Hook’s game-winner came at 57min 06sec after Clan had battled back twice. Clan coach Malcolm Cameron said it was heart-breaking to lose a goal less than three minutes from time but he added: “I saw a lot of character out there from the group against a team that has played 12 or 13 times.”
Earlier, it took Giants only 78 seconds to open the scoring, Scott Conway netting with Belfast down a man after Tyler Soy was called 26 seconds earlier for the home side having too many men on the ice. Canadian left wing Mathieu Roy levelled after 33 minutes with Clan a man short after Brock Beukeboom was called for tripping.
Jordan Boucher netted on the power play for Giants after 51 minutes to go ahead for the second time but Clan skipper Dyson Stevenson levelled just over a minute later.
That set up a grandstand finish but 25-year-old left wing Hook from Peterborough was in the right place at the right time to secure the win.
Meanwhile, Ryan Penny netted a glory double as Coventry Blaze burned Dundee Stars 5-1 in The Midlands.
The sides were blanked at the end of the first but Blaze caught fire in the second with a 3-1 scoreline and piled on the agony for the Scots in the third, winning it 2-0. Charlie Combs netted Stars’ consolation.
Experienced news, business, arts, sport and travel journalist. Food critic and managing editor of a well-established food and travel website. Also a magazine editor of publications with circulations of up to 200,000 and managing director of a long-established PR/marketing company with a string of blue-chip clients in its CV. Former communications lecturer at a Scottish university and social media specialist for a string of successful and busy SMEs.
