Shootout win extends Stars' lead on Storm
Photo: Derek Black
Dundee Stars wrapped up a six-point week despite being down to just three lines with a 4-3 shootout win over Manchester Storm on Tayside. 1,842 fans saw arguably the most exciting game of the season at the Dundee Ice Arena.
"The team played great head to toe, even with a short roster we were really really good and managed to find a way all week and even today we found a way to win and that’s all that matters” said Jarrett Fiske, who logged his third win of the week. "Morale is really high, and you know the boys are buying in and we’re doing a lot of the little things right and it’s adding up to big things."
Manchester entered Dundee looking to secure two vital league points, as they sit seven points behind the Stars in the standings who currently occupy the final playoff spot.
Brendan Harms struck first for the home team, netting his eighth point in his last four games with a shot that beat David Tendeck top corner just 45 seconds into the game. It didn’t take the visitors long to respond, as Jake Durflinger equalised less than a minute later at 01:38 after redirecting a shot past Jarrett Fiske to make it 1-1.
Fiske made an initial pad save on a shot from the Manchester blue line, however Ryan Hughes was first to the rebound and sent the puck into the Stars’ net to give his team their first lead of the night at 15:51.
A back and fourth second period saw both teams generate high-quality scoring chances, with Tendeck and Fiske both making a number of key saves throughout. Continuous pressure in the offensive zone allowed Jonathan McBean to send a shot from the slot over the shoulder of Tendeck, equalising late in the period with his fifth of the season at 36:32.
Drydn Dow restored the Stars’ lead just over two minutes later at 38:58, picking up a pass from McBean and wristing the puck past Tendeck to send his team into the third period up 3-2.
Alexis D'Aoist, the league's points leader, tied things up just 38 seconds into period three to make it 3-3. Both sides had chances to go back ahead, with Keeanu Yamamoto's breakaway inside the final five minutes was well stopped by Tendeck to keep the game level.
Both sides took a point with the game going into overtime, which probably didn't suit the Storm. With barely any whistles in the bonus session, the teams threw caution to the wind and continuously broke up and down the ice on odd-man rushes but without a winning goal being scored.
In the shootout, Yamamamoto was the only scorer for the Stars, while Fiske stopped all five Storm attempts to earn their their win.
Fiske ended the week having made over 150 saves. "I would say it doesn’t really matter what I do as long as we win, it’s just about the team right so the boys play fantastic in front of me, it’s a team effort and the win is all that really matters to us” he concluded.
