Fife Flyers take positives but no points from league leaders Sheffield Steelers

The Kirkcaldy club gave this game everything they had, but lost out 3-2, with a killer short-handed goal from the impressive Daniel Ciampini a killer blow.

It left the club in ninth spot, one point ahead of Glasgow Clan, making the meeting of the teams next weekend a huge showdown.

Jeff Hutchins, associate coach, said: “We’re disappointed with the outcome. We came out very strong in the first period, but there was then a five-minute spell where we turned over the puck to give Steelers momentum.”

He praised the team’s penalty kill, and the return of Lucas Sandstrom playing his first game after missing nine matches through injury - “we didn’t expect him to play but he came in and did a great job.”

Flyers threw everything at Steelers in a fast-paced opening period, and they skated with the league leaders throughout.

They converted on their first powerplay which came in just 36 seconds as Brendan Connolly was called for charging with a cross check on the boards that Chris Gerrie certainly felt. Janne Kivilahti made it count, netting at 1:52.

Steelers got back on level terms at 13:20 when Ciampini drove the net, and his lightning quick reactions saw him bury a rebound off Shane Owen as he raced across the goal.

Flyers were back ahead after 15 minutes when Dillon Lawrence skated on to a pass, won the one on one battle with a defenceman and kept going to bundle the puck past netminder Matt Greenfield.

They could have gone in 3-1 up had a goal not been washed out in the dying seconds - Mikael Johansson bundled the puck home, but the referee immediately washed it out before a long video review confirmed that call.

Steelers, who skated at speed and always looked dangerous, turned up the pressure in the second period, and finally drew level after half an hour of hockey as Flyers left the back door wide open, and Kevin Schulze had an easy tap in off a diagonal pass from the opposite point.

And then came the killer goal. Short-handed, Ciampini charged down a Kivilahti pass in his own zone and took off down the wing. His first shot was blocked, but he spun round to net at the second attempt.

Flyers had powerplay opportunities and chances to tie the game but their push back couldn’t deliver a game-tying goal.

As the clock wound down they took several attempts to pull Owen for an extra skater on a powerplay, without success.