FLAMES FIRE-POWER EDGES OUT PHOENIX!!

MANCHESTER PHOENIX     2   -  4    GUILDFORD FLAMES

 

Sunday Night at the Altrincham Ice dome saw the final Regular season visit of the Current EPL Champions the Guildford Flames as they just edged a close game against the hosts,Winning 4-2 with them capitalising on the home sides mistakes.


Phoenix welcomed back Joachim Flaten to the fold after a eye injury he picked up in the Semi final 1st leg down in Guildford a few weeks back & were missing starter netminder Steve Fone with a groin injury still.
For the Flames they were missing Liddiard, Cooke and normal terrorisier Jozef Kohut who was serving a suspension.

1st Period

Manchester had an extra rest as they had no game on the saturday evening and would be the fresher, Considering the Flames and Bracknell Bees played out a 7-6 Overtime Win at the Spectrum in Guildford. So after that game it seemed like the energy levels would be a down as Phoenix could capitalise on the tiredness as it went on.


Both sides took to the ice and so that it was upto Referee Andy Miller to drop the puck and get the "PYRO DERBY" going.
Phoenix started the quicker getting in the flames zone with ease numerous times problem was no shots were on target and Mark Lee spent more time watching the puck along the board and his team mates frustrating the home side then facing rubber. Phoenix did put the puck in the net but the net was clearly off the moorings well before the shot went in.


Tom Duggan who even by his standards hasn`t had the greatest season this year, He seemed a lone man as the ex-Flames player was putting himself about and hitting and grinding making plays ,Something his team mates were struggling to do in the game.
And came as no surprise when Guildford took the lead with some great movement as Branislav Kvetan was adjudged to have kept the puck in the Phoenix zone his pass found David Longstaff along the boards and his back hand no look pass found Curtis Huppe and he put it home for a 1-0 scoreline in favour of the Flames at 3-55 gone in the game.




The First Penalty came not long after against Joachim Flaten for Phoenix as he sent for 2 minutes for HOLDING THE STICK at 4-26. Which did seem a bit of a poor call as moments before Duggan was clearly boarded by Kvetan but ref called nothing,but the weakest call  in the entire play put the visitors on the powerplay. Phoenix killed it off and tried to find a goal but were frustrated as they didn`t have the look of a teams that would score many.

Eventually the home side did draw level as good battle in the corner by Player Coach Tony Hand was played to Michal Psurny behind the Guildford net and and as he skated from behind the net he threw one on goal and banked it in off Lee at 8-21 to make it 1-1.


Andrew Hemmings then went to check Schanbel and the tall Czech defenseman looked at him and Hemmings himself knew it was a poor decision. Andrew Sharp then tried to hit the big man, his effort at checking was worse as he went into the boards and nearly opened the zamboni corner up for the missed check. As the doors were looking loose after that & just before the end Hemmings went to the box for HOOKING at 19-44 

Phoenix started well, gave a goal away and then amanaged by the end to make it a even steven game overall.

2nd Period

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Manchester come out with some great pressure put on the Flames defense and causing some problems. Phoenix who were on the powerplay that was running over into the 2nd, Was turned into a goal as "Sniper" Luke Boothroyd scored from close range after Tony Hand & Michal Psurny combined to set the Captain up to put the home side ahead and send the Manchester fans happy with joy at 20-24.


Phoenix ran into more penalty trouble as this Andy Mckinney was called at 25-19 for HOLDING THE STICK ,When it looked like a pen on Guildford was being called as the players thought that briefly. Phoenix did fantastic on the penalty kill again as they blocked shots and scrambled desperately to clear the crease and stop any scraps at the front of El Hage nets.

Penalty got killed and moments later Jez Lundin had his effort ring off the crossbar and away to mid ice and Phoenix clear their zone. The pressure by the Flames in the last 10 mins had Phoenix in trouble and scrambling all over and so when Nathan Rempel passed to Rick Plant his vision saw Milos Melicherik skate unopposed towards the far side and he tapped into a unguarded net as he turned the defender got free and scored to tie it at 2-2 at 32-51.


Richard Bentham struck the post for Phoenix as they found a shooting lane open, Then in the 37-20 Longstaff skated on the right took it behind the net lost his man and shot from outside the faceoff circle and his shot went through the FIVE-HOLE of El-Hage as it was a good accurate shot that beat him, But really shouldn`t be scored on from that distance between the legs.

So Guildford took a 3-2 lead heading into the last period of play with possible tiredness to kick in hopefully if you was a Phoenix fan. But the way they played in the last 10 mins you`d think Manchester had were the side playing without the days rest.

3rd Period

The game got scrappy as neither side could get a foothold in the period as both team battled for play. Manchester had the puck more but couldn`t make the possession tell and hfound Mark Lee saving everything and making some saves better than they were with flashy gloves saves which were more for show than really dangerous shots.


Guildford picked up a penalty as Kvetan was called for TRIPPING at 50-46, Phoenix couldn`t make any headway on the powerplay at all. So as we entered the last few minutes Phoenix started to commit to attack more and hope to pull the goalie when they had possession Kvetan started an attack with a minute to go his effort hit the plexi glass behind the goal and bounced so hard it hit the rookie netminder on the back and just went in to kill off the game at 59:10 as they celebrated the goal much to the disappointment and slumped shoulders of El Hage as he was mixed with embarrassment,anger and down too.


Game finished to bring the score to 4-2 Guildford and Phoenix look to try and rebuild confidence in the side as quick as they can as they seem a very different side from early season to new year.

(photos: Manchester Phoenix ice hockey club)


FACTS:

SHOTS ON GOAL: 

Lee: 34   ,  EL HAGE 39


PENALTIES:

PHOENIX 4   , FLAMES 4

MAN OF THE MATCH: