Glasgow Clan stayed in the race to finish inside the top six with a 5-3 win over Cardiff Devils at Braehead Arena.
A crowd of 3,598 were in Glasgow on Friday night.
Clan are not fighting for a league title, but they may yet have a big say in who wins one. Having beaten Devils, they will face title chasers Belfast Giants and Sheffield Steelers before the season is out.
Cardiff went ahead just past four minutes into the game when Joey Martin tipped a Gleason Fournier shot past Sami Aittokallio on the powerplay.
Clan levelled at 07:14 when Mihkali Teppo fired a shot on Ben Bowns from the off wing, with Brady Risk putting home the loose puck in the crease. Chris McKay then put Clan ahead with a shot from the slot with 4:39 left in the opening period.
Felix Paré finished beautifully from Robert Lachowicz’s clever backhand pass to make it 3-1 shorthanded 4:03 into the second period. Martin struck again for Devils less than 90 seconds later to bring the visitors back within one.
Tristin Langan restored Clan’s two-goal lead just 23 seconds into the third period with a shot high past Bowns, although Steven MacLean quickly pulled Devils back within one just 44 seconds later.
Daniel Tedesco’s pass from below the goal line set up Mick Messner for Clan’s fifth of the night at 49:33, giving the hosts a two-goal cushion they would not relinquish.
Bowns and Aittokallio came close to dropping the gloves after the final buzzer, but it was Clan’s night with a win that keeps them in seventh place.
Photo: Al Goold
