Fife Flyers: shut out on home ice by Nottingham Panthers as goals dry up

There is little Fife Flyers can do but grit their teeth and get through this sticky spell until Johan Porsberger and Justin Ducharme are back on skates.

It’s also a true-ism that when you are shot benched and doing what you can, that Lady Luck won’t grant you a single bounce of the puck let alone a break. Wednesday’s 4-0 loss to Nottingham Panthers wasn’t down to any lack of effort, but it was still another long, frustrating night at Fife Ice Arena.

The opening exchanges were even enough, but Panthers went into the break 1-0 up after a neat pass off the back boards from Tim Docherty was buried by Mitch Fossier to with16 minutes played. It could have been worse as Bryan Lemos saw a fine shot ping off Shane Owen's post.

There was no doubt Panthers were the sharper side, but Fife hustled and found some space to create chances which they just couldn’t convert.

They were in trouble after 23 minutes when Panthers made it 2-0 -after being caught on the offence. A pass released Ollie Betteridge who fired home.

Flyers needed to go into the second break no further in arrears. The netminder then came to Fife’s rescue on the half hour when Vlastimil Dostalek is pickpocketed in mid ice, and his save denied Ross Armour.

Flyers had a few chances -- Alderson chased a puck for Brown to tip, Somoza had a snap flick and then Scheid with a solid shot into the body of the netminder - but the killer blow was Panthers’ third at 38:47 when Matt Spencer swept the puck home from inside the home zone.

A fourth goal came in the final period after a video review -Matt Marcinew’s tap in after Owen spilled the puck was allowed to stand.

Fife looked leg weary by the final buzzer. They need simply need to hang in there and regroup.