Viaplay Elite League: Nottingham Panthers 1, Fife Flyers 6
FIRED-UP Fife Flyers had the best possible start to their Viaplay Elite League fixture at Nottingham Panthers and they went on to thrash the Midlands men for a second time and claim their seventh league win of the season.
Todd Dutiaume (pictured) guided his men to a 6-1 victory at The Fife Ice Arena against Panthers recently and Flyers posted an identical score in the Midlands.
Dillon Lawrence, a pre-game injury concern, gave the visitors a great start. He slotted home after 45 seconds to open the scoring after being set up by Janne Laakkonen.
And the scoreline read 2-0 after nine minutes when the provider became the scorer. This time he was set up by Lawrence and the club’s leading points gatherer, Zack Phillips.
Panthers hit back 1min 24sec into the middle session when Kelly Summers netted for 2-1 but only 30 seconds later Laakkonen grabbed his second with Dillon Lawrence and Seth Bafaro setting up the chance.
Tempers flared and both sides took penalties but Wolseley-based Fife kept the scoreline blank and netted their fourth after 36 minutes with Brayden Sherbinin doing the damage unassisted.
And less than a minute later it was 5-1 when Reece Cochrane netted with that man Laakkonen heavily involved. He was having a great night.
And it became 6-1 when Sherbinin, a 6ft 1in tall defenceman, was set up by Lucas Sandstrom and Mikael Johansson only 44 seconds into the final session.
Fife now move above Panthers into sixth position in the ten-strong table with 16 points from 21 games, but Nottingham, who recently sacked their coach and brought back former playcaller, Corey Neilson, to arrest their slide down the table, have three games in hand and have 14 points.
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