The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Stars brave the Storm to win thriller as Fife put five past MK
FIFE FLYERS RECORD THEIR FOURTH ELITE LEAGUE WIN IN A ROW
Dundee Stars put to bed a seven-game losing streak as they saw off Manchester Storm at Dundee Ice Arena last night.
Ben Edmonds was on international duty with Great Britain and Taylor Dickin was missing which meant Dundee had only 14 skaters.
But they had enough to end a painful run of form and return to winning ways.
Riley Stadel set up Gabriel Lévesque who drifted closer before unleashing a quick wrist shot past Mike Clemente to give Dundee the lead in five minutes.
Storm got their first powerplays as a double minor for slashing and unsportsmanlike conduct against Lévesque put the road team on the man advantage in the ninth minute and Matt Stanisz dropped the puck behind him to Dane Byers, who fired into an open goal in 10 minutes to tie the game.
A quick counter-attack by Lévesque led to his move fooling Clemente but the puck dropped in front and in swooped Jimmy Jensen to tuck it home and put Stars back in front in 12 minutes.
Lévesque went back to the penalty box on a boarding call in the 13th minute, which resulted in a goal after just 20 seconds on the powerplay, Mike Hammond was at the backdoor to knock in the rebound from Byers’ slapshot and tie the game once more a minute later.
Stadel had a chance to restore the lead as he pulled a great move but lost it and his second effort was gloved. Paul Swindlehurst picked up a charging penalty to give Dundee another advantage before the end of the first period but Stars could not capitalise before the penalty and period expired.
A quick break by Storm led to Matt Beca feeding the puck across to Scott Pitt and his shot trickled through the legs of Fullerton and across the line for a 3-2 lead in 39 minutes before Emerson Hrynyk could pull it back.
Stars were level in 46 minutes when Marc-Olivier Mimar pick-pocketed a Manchester defenceman and passed the puck to Stadel, who was waiting on the doorstep to knock it home.
And they went ahead when Mimar intercepted a pass and set up Lévesque to put the home side ahead 4-3.
Storm looked dangerous but Adam Harding won the puck and lobbed it down the ice and into the net to secure a 5-3 victory for Dundee.
Peter LeBlanc netted a double as Fife Flyers last night claimed their fourth win in a row in the Elite League with a 5-2 success over league newcomers Milton Keynes Lightning.
The sides were level after the first session, Chase Schaber netting unassisted after five minutes with Guillaume Doucet equalising with one second left.
But Fife upped a gear in the second with four goals in just under 11 minutes.
Richards Birzins started the blitz after 22 minutes with LeBlanc making it 3-1 four minutes later.
James Isaacs claimed number four less than a minute later and LeBlanc slotted again after 33 minutes.
Denny Kearney pulled one back after 49 minutes but it proved to be only a consolation.
On Saturday, Dundee Stars lost 5-1 to Lightning with Brian Hart grabbing their consolation goal.