Ferguson keeps Flames in title race with OT winner

Photo: Dean Woolley

Guildford Flames kept their Viaplay Elite League title hopes alive with an overtime win in a nine-goal thriller at the Utilita Arena. The near 7,500 crowd were treated to an enthralling game on Sunday afternoon which saw momentum swing both ways before going into the bonus period.

Guildford struck first with a nicely taken Daniel Tedesco goal after he and Matt Petgrave had collided accidentally in the neutral zone that left the Steelers' defenseman out of position. That 3:32 opening goal was cancelled out at 5:31 when Brett Neumann tidied up in front after a Calle Ackered shot was spilled by Eamon McAdam for a powerplay goal at 5:31. The Flames were a constant danger every time they entered the offensive zone, however, and were back ahead at 13:06 thanks to a Ben O'Connor wrist shot from the point that went through a screen and ended up in the back of Matt Greenfield's net. The Steelers goalie couldn't hold an O'Connor shot at 16:06 which was put home by Tedesco to put the Flames 3-1 ahead at 16:06 on the powerplay.

Rob Dowd took the game by the scruff of the next with an excellent solo goal at 25:29 to get his side back to within one as he waltzed through the Flames defense. As Peter Crinella sat a hooking minor, Marc-Olivier Vallerand was left in all kinds of space to fire past McAdam and tie the game 75 seconds later. The Flames took two quick penalties in succession of their own making with a Too Many Men call and then Robert Lachowicz shooting the puck out of bounds to give the Steelers over 90 seconds of 5-on-3 time. McAdam made an incredible diving save to keep the scores level as the Steelers piled on the pressure both with the extra skaters and when the game returned to even strength. In the dying seconds of the period, Calle Ackered took a tripping minor and the Flames went back ahead with six seconds left on the period clock thanks to Sam Marklund firing home a rebound from a Daniel Tedesco shot.

After the Flames killed off an early penalty on Kyle Locke in period three, they began to soak up Steelers' pressure without letting their hosts trouble McAdam as much as they had done in the second while looking a threat on the rush. A late penalty on Matt Petgrave gave the visitors a chance to put the result beyond doubt, but it backed-fired on them - Daniel Ciampini shot at McAdam who couldn't hold it, and Scott Allen was first to the loose puck to put the rebound home and tie the game shorthanded with 2:27 to go in regulation. The Flames called their timeout to draw up a play on the remaining powerplay time, and although the Steelers got through the rest of the penalty a slashing call on Allen put them down a mean again with 96 seconds left in the period. 

That man advantage carried over to overtime for the Flames, and after some neat passing Brett Ferguson put a loose puck home from a Ben O'Connor shot that Greenfield had stopped and the Flames took the extra point to move them to within four points of leaders Belfast with a game in hand.

Sheffield stay five behind the Giants who they face on Friday in a game that will now be must-win for the Steelers.