Overtime win for Flames against Lightning

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Milton Keynes Lightning and Flames traded a couple of goals each in regulation to force overtime where Calle Ackered buried a John Dunbar 2 on 1 feed to secure a 3-2 Flames win.

Lightning struck first when Owen Griffiths knocked in a rebound just under 6 minutes from the start and that accounted for the extent of the scoring in the opening frame.

An early 2nd period 5 on 3 for a little more than a minute offered the home team a golden chance to pull it even, but a good Lightning penalty kill chewed the clock on both infractions with the visitors still holding the single goal edge. Another powerplay failed to connect with the leveller, but in the period’s last bit of time, Jordan Abt squared it on a delayed penalty when he headed to the net and deposited a Kevin King rebound, and the clubs went to the 3rd tied at a goal each.

About halfway through the 3rd, and seconds from the end of a powerplay, Ben Davies picked up a TJ Foster point shot rebound and slipped the home team in front, but just under 4 minutes from close, just as the Flames completed a penalty kill, Lightning evened it with a Robbie Baillargeon strike to set the stage for Ackered’s overtime heroics.

“The excitement of the overtime is sure a lot better looking back on it when you have won the game,” observed Paul Dixon.

“That was a tough slog all night against a short-staffed team who really showed a lot of character, and clearly were never going to lay down.”

“We were frustrated the last few games to come away empty handed, so it is really satisfying to come out of our single game weekend with both points.”

“For the first time in about a month and a half we will get in a full week of training uninterrupted by games, so we are looking forward to a positive atmosphere around the rink and a good week of practice ahead of next week’s home and away set against Coventry Blaze.”