Fife Flyers: second top in standings after fine overtime victory

Three weeks into the Challenge Cup round robin games and the team sits second top, three points behind Belfast Giants, and a healthy four ahead of Dundee Stars.

The teams met at a noisy Fife Ice Arena on Sunday, and Flyers made it three wins out of three against their Tayside rivals. They needed overtime this time to secure a 3-2 win, but those are the very sort of returns they need to deliver to make significant progress this season.

Tim Wallace admitted the Hockey Gods smiled on his side, but also stressed: “We deserved the win. Our penalty kill was unbelievable - they battled and blocked so many shots. We had lot of Grade-A chances, limited our D-zone time and I’m really happy for the players.”

By contrast, Stars coaching team had faces like thunder as they crossed the ice, going head to head with referee Alan Craig, presumably unhappy at Victor Bjorklung’s 62-minute sudden death winner.

It was a scrambled up and over flick of the puck, but there was no review - not even a hint of one - and the Fife fans were in full celebratory voice even before they were down the tunnel.

There was little between the teams in a tight hockey game, but Fife had some purple spells and their work rate was immense, and if any team is due a nod from those Hockey Gods, then it is surely Flyers.

A Miika Partanen slapshot put them ahead at 7:15, but Stars were level within 37 seconds through Scott Jameson, and then ahead as Kris Inglis' shot from distance went in via Keaton Jameson, but only after an extraordinarily long video review - a wayward high stick could easily have been called and the goal washed out.

Flyers motored with intent and carved out some great chances before tying the game at 14:27 - Michael Drabek with the shot, and a lightning quick reaction from Kyle Watson converting the rebound.

Without doubt, the turning point was a contentious five-minute powerplay which came after Evan Dougherty was thrown out on an interference call as all eyes were on a minor grapple at the other end of the rink. Flyers’ penalty kill was superb as they bossed Stars, so much so Scott Dutertre head coach, admitted it was “a make or break, we had to perform then and just didn't have it.”

Fife finished the second period applying the most intense pressure around Stars net, and while the third ebbed and flowed, neither side could crack this game open.

Overtime saw Bjorklung carry the puck - he was a tireless worker all night long - and it was fitting that it was flick that settled the issue 2:40 into sudden death. He admitted: “It was a lucky bounce at the end, but we'll take it.” And he summed up the night - “we did a really good job on penalty kill - our special teams earned those points.”