Lightning fail to strike as Clan deliver the goods
Four goals in just over four minutes set Glasgow Clan up for victory as they took the points in a 6-4 success over bottom of the table Milton Keynes Lightning.
It was a swashbuckling start from Pete Russell’s team as they swept into a healthy lead within the opening eight and half minutes of the contest.
Craig Peacock was first on the board with a one-time effort that flew past MK goalie Patrick Killeen after Tyson Wilson had found him with a square pass.
Only 12 seconds had elapsed when Brendan Connolly doubled the lead as Matt Beca’s probing pass arrived at the Clan forward via a deflection from Travis Ehrhardt.
Lightning coach Doug McKay called a timeout to prevent any further haemorrhaging of goals, but it didn’t stop Clan rampaging into an even bigger lead.
Connolly’s second was well worked as he came in from the right on Beca’s pass then almost dived to send the puck beyond Killeen.
Number four was arrived just after the eighth minute as Matt Stanisz’s shot from the left was turned in by Vaclav Stupka.
It was the goal that ended Killeen’s night between the pipes for the visitors, with Adam Goss replacing him.
Lightning’s fortunes improved in the second when they started to claw their back into the game and finally found their way past Rumpel.
New signing Robbie Baillargeon retrieved the puck in his own zone, came through the centre and delivered a terrific shot to get the visitors on the board.
Then Clay Anderson halved the arrears when he picked up the puck at the blue line, moved forward and beat the Clan goalie at his right hand post.
It gave the away fans a glimmer of hope, but Rasmus Bjerrum forced in early in the third to reopen a three-goal advantage.
Lightning responded immediately through Tim Wallace, but the moment of the night came from Connolly, who completed his hat-trick as he was put clean through and finished with aplomb.
Baillargeon got his second to pull MK to within two, but the night belonged to the Clan as their only game of the weekend got the perfect outcome.