Fife Flyers grab precious road point in overtime loss at Nottingham Panthers

Fife Flyers picked up a point on the road in a 3-2 overtime loss to Nottingham Panthers to keep the pressure up in the play-off race.
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Tom Coolen’s team came from behind to tie with game with a 2-1 final period, only to miss out on a second point when Otto Nieminen hit the winner just 33 seconds into ovetime.

Panthers outshot Fife 17-5 in the opening period, but only had one goal to show for it through the opening 20 minutes. A bad bounce off Kevin Wehrs' skates after Flyers won a defensive zone faceoff saw the puck fall kindly to Alexander Lunsjo for a quick finish in the slot.

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Flyers didn't have a shot on target until past the 16-minute mark in the period but ended the period behind despite a late flurry, and did hit a post in their search for an equaliser. There were no goals through period two but both teams had their goalies to thank for keeping it a one-goal game. Dominik Salama made an excellent save off a Logan Neilson shot at the far post to deny the Panthers' forward a third goal in as many games. At the other end, Troy Lajeunesse had a late chance on Stojanovič as the period ended as it had started.

Dominic Salama took the MoM award for Fife Flyers for his performance against Nottingham Panthers (Pic: Panthers Images)Dominic Salama took the MoM award for Fife Flyers for his performance against Nottingham Panthers (Pic: Panthers Images)
Dominic Salama took the MoM award for Fife Flyers for his performance against Nottingham Panthers (Pic: Panthers Images)

Defenceman Aleksi Makela delivered a deserved equaliser for Flyers with a shot from the point at 45:49 to bring the game all square. Minutes later, Myles McGurty saw his shot beat Salama but come back off the bar as the game stayed level, but on the very next attack Neilson did make it three in three to put the Panthers back ahead at 49:01.

Panthers, however, turned the puck over in their own zone straight to Max Humitz who turned and shot past Stojanovič to tie the game at 52:54. Overtime followed, and it took only 33 seconds for the extra point to be won - Otto Nieminen beat fellow countryman Salama with a shot from just over the blue line.