Third period comeback gets Stars huge win in playoff race

Photo: Mark Ferris

Dundee Stars came form two goals down in Manchester to beat Storm 4-3 at the Shelter, moving themselves 10 points clear of their opponents in the race for a playoff place.

Zach Sullivan was the star of the opening period with a pair of goals – doubling his tally for the season!

Both were shots from the point that found a way through. The first came with 126 seconds played, through a screen of players to beat Jarrett Fiske. 4:50 later, Sullivan let one fly from the other side of the zone with the same result - Fiske only seeing it late and unable to react.

Storm could have gone three ahead early in period two only for Ryan Hughes’ shot to come back off the post. Dundee began to get themselves going in the game and called David Tendeck into a couple of decent saves until they did have the puck over the line – but the play was washed out for the net being off, and probably would have been disallowed for goalie interference if the goal had stayed in its position. Storm called off two quick penalties, but a final one led to the Stars getting on the board before the period was out – Keanu Yamamoto racing up the ice and beating Tendeck blocker side with some 40 seconds left in the period.

Stars captain Drydn Dow tied the game 3:41 into period three with a shot from that point that beat Tendeck through a crowd of players. Storm captain Cam Critchlow then responded for his team with a shorthanded marker at 44:22, opting not to pass and take on the shot himself as the home side broke 2-on-1. 

Exactly on the 50-minute mark, Domenico Alberga brought the Stars level for a second time on the night when his quick shot beat Tendeck five-hole. Then, just 77 seconds later, Philippe Sanche got on a loose puck to fire home and put the Stars ahead for the first time in the game.

Now it was Storm's turn to press, but they came up against Fiske who was determined not to be beaten again. Tendeck left the net with 80 seconds to play, but Fiske did well to block pucks out of bounds to slow the game down in the final stages. Zach Tsekos took a puck to the face inside the final 12 seconds of the game, but from the restart Storm couldn't get the puck under control in the attacking zone and saw time tick away.