The Flyers welcomed the return of Johan Porsberger to the lineup after having missed the last four games for the visit of the Dundee Stars. Defeat for the Flyers would mathematically eliminate them from the competition with the visitors also knowing that progression firmly lay within their own hands. The Flyers without Justin Ducharme who they placed in Injured Reserve following surgery along with the suspended Garet Hunt and once again they included Joe Lynch in their lineup. The Stars were without Adam Almquist.
The Flyers were quickly off the mark and grabbed the opening goal of the game after just 70 seconds as Vlastimil Dostalek with a shot from the slot caught Emil Kruse cold as the puck found a hole between his pads. In the 5th minute a cross crease pass from Josh Winquist saw Johan Porsberger whiff on the puck and the Stars went the other way with Matt Berry calling Christian Purboo into action fort the first time. Jaka Sturm set up a chance for Porsberger in the 6th minute but he shot wide of target. Moments later there was another chance for the home team as Winquist fed the puck over to Ethan Somoza but Kruse made a save. In the 8th minute Spencer Naas had a clear breakaway and was in on goal and tried to pick the 5 hole on Purboo who shut the wickets to make a huge save. The Flyers were creating the better of the chances and they buzzed around the Stars net again with Andrew McxLean and Dostalek both having chances that were either blocked or Kruse was called upon to make a save. Morten Jurgens took the puck to the net in the 11th minute but Purboo stood his ground and from the ensuing scrum both Jeremy Masella and Jurgens were assessed coincidental roughing minors. Kruse flashed the leather to make a stop on Somoza in the 12th minute and a minute later a slapshot from Berry clipped the pipe. Porsberger showed a great touch on the Stars blueline in the 15th minute which drew a tripping call as Justin Bean went to the box. The Flyers didn’t create any clear chances and Keanu Yamamoto had a short handed bid near the end of the powerplay but Purboo came to the rescue. In the final minute of the period Dostalek fired a shot off the mask of Kruse.
The Flyers almost got a flukey second goal inside the opening minute of the middle period as Kruse had to be at his most flexible to stop a ricocheted puck getting behind him. The Stars however looked a more potent force after the restart and they drew level at 23.15 when Matt Boudens set up behind the Fife net and his pass out to the slot was fired into the bottom corner by Jurgens. In the 25th minute Sturm broke towards the Stars goal but just failed to get the puck to settle to allow a shot and Kruse cleaned up. The Flyers then ran into some penalty trouble as McLean was called for a slash in the 25th minute. Purboo came up with a big pad save on Berry and then did well to track a shot from Kameron Kielly from below the circles as the Flyers completed the kill. The Stars went back on the powerplay in the 32nd minute as Ian Scheid was given the gate for a slash but a strong penalty kill by the Flyers saw them return to full strength without the Stars getting a shot on net. A minute later however and the home side were shorthanded again as Sturm sat for tripping. This time the visitors made their man advantage count as the puck was worked to Kielly just below the left face off dot and he sniped the top corner glove side on Purboo.
It was a scrappy start to the third period with neither side creating any cohesive chances. Purboo held a shot from Yamamoto from the slot in the 45th minute just before Hampus Olsson put the Flyers back on the powerplay with a hold on Didrik Svendsen. A Porsberger one timer was stopped by Kruse and Dow got a great stick to block the follow up shot as the keeper lay flat out on the ice and the Stars completed the kill. The Flyers went close through Ryan Nicholson but did get back on terms at 49.11 when a pass into the slot area by Winquist was one timed by Somoza whose shot was blocked but he had a swipe at the rebound and the puck knuckled into the top corner of the net completely deceiving Kruse. Masella tried to beat Kruse on the short side after the restart but he was alert to the danger and at the other end Purboo blockered away a shot from Yamamoto. The final chance came as Somoza got a partial breakaway but Kruse was able to make the save.
Overtime saw a host of chances for both sides creating as many shots on goal in the 5 minutes as the whole of the first period had generated. Purboo had saves on Dow and Naas with McLean and Posrberger being denied by Kruse. Olsson also went close for Stars but the game went to a shootout.
Kruse saved all four of the Flyers attempts with Dow and Kielly scoring for the Stars who took the extra point to put them on top of the qualification group.
Pic Credits – Jillian McFarlane and Derek Young
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