Ruairi Lockerbie’s last-gasp goal secured a sensational comeback victory for Edinburgh Capitals at Murrayfield on Saturday night, with just 4.6 seconds left on the clock.
It has been a deeply emotional week for the world of ice hockey following the tragic death of Nottingham Panthers’ player Adam Johnson last Sunday.
A minute’s silence was held before the game, with both sets of fans applauding in the 47th minute in honour of Johnson’s shirt number.
Dundee Comets claimed an early lead in the game, leaving the home side trailing by two goals after the first period.
Aaron Robertson clawed back a goal for Capitals just 32 seconds into the second period, with Chad Smith’s strike in the third drawing the two sides level.
With five seconds remaining, Capitals broke away and Ruairi Lockerbie’s dramatic winner was met by thunderous roars from the home fans.
Speaking after the game, Lockerbie said: “We had a good pep talk after the first period and then we were all go from there. I don’t want to say it was in our hands, but the momentum shifted.”
Capitals went into the game looking to turn around a disappointing string of recent performances, culminating in a 4-0 defeat to Paisley Pirates at Murrayfield last weekend.
Lockerbie said: “We were unhappy with our performances over the past few weeks but this week we’ve proven that we are a good team, and we should be up there.”
Head coach Steven Lynch praised his side’s determination: “That’s the team we put together: a team that works for each other, a team that outworks the opponent, a team that never gives up and just keeps going.
“After last week’s poor performance it was really important for us to come back and get a win tonight. We had to battle for it and we got our reward with five seconds to go.
“There are no easy games in this league so it’s important that we take the momentum from this one tonight into next week and make sure that we get another two points.”
Edinburgh Capitals are back in action next Saturday 11 November when they travel to Stevenston to face North Ayrshire Wild.
Capitals Man of the Match: Joel Gautschi
Sports Journalism Masters student at Edinburgh Napier University
