Fife Flyers recorded a welcome 5-3 win over Coventry Blaze at Kirkcaldy despite being 3-2 down with less than six minutes remaining.
Home fans loved the bounce back and it was newcomer Logan Neilson (pictured) who put Fife ahead with only a few minutes left of a tight game at The Fife Ice Arena.
Neilson struck unassisted to make the scoreline 4-3 with 56min 47sec on the clock and Ian Scheid added a fifth with 33 seconds remaining on an empty net after Blaze gambled by withdrawing their netminder to have six skaters.
The move backfired and the unassisted goal made sure the points stayed in Kirkcaldy after Fife bounced back from a 3-2 deficit when Adam Robins netted for Blaze after 54min 27sec and time was fast running out.
The cheer when Neilson’s shot hit the net was music to the ears of the international who and can play wing or centre.
On Sunday, two quick goals in the final session sealed a 4-1 win for Nottingham Panthers, the Elite League pace-setters, and bottom club Flyers in the Lace City, but the visitors kept the scoreline close in the opening two sessions and the eventual outcome was identical to the Midlands club’s road win in Fife last Sunday.
Panthers led 2-0 after 37min 48sec but Fife refused to give up and Jamie Russell’s men gained a lifeline when Matthew Marcinew was called for roughing. He was sent to the sin bin for two minutes and Flyers took advantage when Ethan Somoza found a way to beat Panthers’ netminder, Kevin Carr, on the power play. Ian Scheid and newcomer, Anton Karlsson, were involved in the build-up. Time 47min 55sec.
That goal could have set up a tense finish at the Motorpoint Arena, but Panthers claimed two goals in two minutes to steady the nerves.
Tim Doherty was set up by Matt Spencer and Matt Alfaro on 51min 41sec for 3-1 and the scoreline moved to 4-1 when Matt Spencer netted with Doherty and Ross Armour involved in the play. Time 52min 01sec.
Fife, outshot 57-18 overall, held out until the final whistle in front of the 6,746 crowd and they had to be content with the points earned in their two-goal win over Blaze at Kirkcaldy on Saturday from 120 minutes of hockey over the weekend.
