Flyers blank Storm to move into playoff places

Photo: Flyers Images

Shane Owen made 42 saves as Fife Flyers shut out Manchester Storm on Friday night live on Viaplay.

Manchester arguably had the better of the scoring chances in period one but it was the Flyers who led after 20 minutes. Janne Laakkonen beat Jeremy Brodeur short side with a well-placed wrist shot to put the Flyers one up at 12:29 while Scott Simmonds sat a holding minor.

Cameron Critchlow's excellent back-checked denied Liam MacDougall a goal on his debut for the Flyers, while at the other end Zach Sullivan's shot slipping through Owen and sitting loose in the crease was a near miss for the visitors.

Fife's penalty kill was excellent in period two where they rode out another pair of minor penalties before doubling their lead. MacDougall called Brodeur into an excellent toe save on a shorthanded breakaway, but sustained 5-on-5 pressure from the home side led to them going two ahead, with the puck in the Storm zone and the Flyers able to get a full line change in, tired Storm bodies couldn't prevent Jonas Emmerdahl beating Brodeur after a series of chances on his net at 35:16.

The Storm, mainly through Anthony DeLuca, tried but couldn't find a way past Owen, with defensemen blocking shots and getting sticks in lanes where needed.

Fife held on for the shutout win, their third straight home victory.