Fife Flyers coach Tom Coolen claimed the club’s fourth goal in the 5-2 Elite League victory over Coventry Blaze at The Fife Ice Arena was pivotal, and how right he was.
It came after 45min 20sec and was rammed home by Kyle Osterberg after a sublime, defence-splitting pass from Troy Lajeunesse to make the scoreline 4-2 and break Blaze.
They had started strongly before a crowd of over 1,600 and opened the scoring early but battling Flyers hit back through Osterberg and they wanted it more after that.
Flyers now travel to bottom club Nottingham Panthers on Tuesday (19.30) in good spirits but are still second-bottom of the ten-strong Eltie League. However, they remain in the play-off mix.
Ian McNulty opened the scoring for Blaze after six minutes with Aleksi Makela called for interference and in the sin bin. Osterberg replied five minutes later with Lajeunesse supplying the ammunition.
Max Humitz fired Fife ahead on the hour with assists from Teemu Pulkinnen and Johan Eriksson on the power play and it was Humitz again after 37 minutes with Lucas Chiodo and Eriksson involved in the move.
Brady Norrish cut the deficit to one after 43 minutes but that fourth after 45min 20sec made such a difference to Fife who closed out the game with a fifth on the power play with less than four minutes left, Pulkinnen netting with Kevin Wehrs (cor) and Chiodo assisting.
Flyers outshot Blaze 36 to 26 and Coolen said: “Unfortunately, we gave up a power play goal right off the bat, but we found a way to battle back and score that first goal. Our power play came up big and when your power play scores goals it helps your team so much.
“Our power play unit has been red-hot and Chiodo’s unit scored two goals and away we want. Unfortunately, we gave up the goal at the start of the third but then a great pass by Lajeunesse to Osterberg for that fourth goal. That was a heck of a pass. That was a big goal.”
PICTURE: Shane Owen under siege in Flyers net from Coventry Blaze forwards. Picture by Jillian McFarlane courtesy of the Elite League
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