Six-goal swing seals fine comeback win for Fife Flyers

It was a superb come from behind win, as Flyers handed Stars the first period on a 3-0 scoreline before waking up. Once roused, they set about their task with the work ethic that is fast becoming their trademark.

Passes which went astray started to snap on to sticks, plays which stuttered started to flow, and Stars could do nothing to prevent themselves falling out of a game they really ought to have killed off in the first half hour.

Flyers even gifted them their opening goal courtesy of Brady Poteau inadvertently knocking the puck past Shane Owen with two minutes on the clock. Stars’ forward Spencer Naas got the credit without actually doing anything. Dundee were the better team in the opening period, and deserved their lead Ryan Valentini converted on a quick breakaway, and then Anthony Rinaldi got a third just before the buzzer after a video review.

Whether it was down to Stars stopping playing, or Flyers starting, periods two and three saw the tables turned with relentless waves of attacks.

Fife hustled and dug, and chipped away the lead. They got back to 3-2 by the second buzzer with goals from a Troy Lajuenesse rebound, and a neat strike from Joan Erikkson - and then they wept Stars away in the third.

They needed to tie the game early on, and did just that through Kyle Osterberg at 44:57, and then took barely 30 seconds more to go ahead; Collin Shirley’s shot coming off the bar, and Teem Pulkkinen, on one knee, swatting the rebound home.

Stars’ heads must have been birling when it became 5-03 at 47:15. Pulkinnen;’s shot coughed up a huge rebound, and with the visiting defence all at sea, Shirley nabbed the puck, and rolled it under a skater to light up the rink. Johan Erikkson added a sixth with seven minutes to play to ensure there was absolutely no comeback for the visitors.

From 3-0 down to 6-3 winners speaks volumes for the spirit in the room, and the graft on the ice. Hockey in Fife just got fun again.