Stars boost play-off push with big win at Capitals

Stars won a key match in their push for the final play-off spot after a highscoring clash with Edinburgh Capitals.

Brian Hart drove towards goal with pace and slotted his shot under the pad of Jordan Mclaughlin to give the Dundee outfit the lead at 3:07.

Edinburgh tied the game late in the opening period after Sergei Banashkov was waiting on the doorstep to send Igor Valeyev’s pass high past Travis Fullerton at 16:36.

Dundee started the second period in perfect fashion as player-coach Omar Pacha led by example, firing a quick shot straight into the top corner at 20:55.

It became a 3-1 lead for Stars after a brilliant solo effort from Anthony Mastrodicasa at 23:47.

The Tayside team then scored through Lukas Lundvald. The Dane was trailing the play and, after arriving late in the offensive zone, slotted home the pass from Marc-olivier Mimar at 25:41.

A sloppy turnover behind the Dundee net allowed the home side to answer back. Ainars Podzins collected a pass from Mike Cazzola before delaying his shot as he rounded Fullerton then shot the puck into Stars’ net at 30:12.

Lundvald swung the momentum back into the favour of Stars as he restored the three-goal cushion at 38:15.

Malcolm Gould passed the puck to Jimmy Jensen and he fired home past Mclaughlin to move Stars ahead 6-2 at 41:52.

Jensen netted his second as he collected the puck at centre ice and skated through the entire Caps defence untouched before lifting the puck over the pad of Mclaughlin at 46:23.

The 17-year-old Callum Robertson then beat Dundee’s replacement netminder Craig Holland after a battle in front of the net at 52:32 to make it 7-3 Stars.

Pacha threw a shot on net that was easily saved by the Caps goalie, but Jordan Cownie was waiting on the doorstep to tuck home the rebound at 52:54. Mimar, unmarked at the back post, added another at 53:56.

Edinburgh pulled one more goal back to make it 9-4 when Callum Robertson was picked out in front of the Stars net and beat Holland for a second time at 57:46.

Coventry Blaze lost 4-1 to Guildford Flames, so Stars’ win means they reeled in both Blaze and Braehead Clan to just a three-point lead with games in hand.

Stars now turn their attention to tomorrow night’s trip to Nottingham after the postponed fixture was rearranged due to the adverse weather.

Fife Flyers’ disappointing run of form continued last night as they slipped to their third straight Elite League defeat.

The Kirkcaldy club were beaten 5-2 at second-bottom Milton Keynes Lightning after losing by the same score to Manchester Storm on Saturday.