Lightning off to a winning start
Double victories over Telford Tigers
Milton Keynes Lightning got their new season off to the best possible start with back to back challenge match victories against an improved Telford Tigers side at the weekend.
After brushing the Shropshire team aside with an 8-2 win on Saturday at Planet Ice Lightning found the going much tougher on Sunday but never the less came away with a 2-0 win in Telford.
The first game saw Lightning give debuts to new signings Andre Smulter, Lukas Zatopek, Lewis Christie and James Archer, plus apprentices Ross Green and Glen Trivett. In addition James Pease began his second spell with the squad after rejoining from Coventry Blaze.
And three of those players were among the scorers with Finnish forward Smulter bagging a brace and Archer and Pease adding another two.
It was Smulter who got Lightning off the mark in the ninth minute after Telford had the better of the opening exchange in terms of shots on goal. Adam Carr was the provider for Smulter whose powerful blast just crawled over the line.
Thirty-five seconds later Archer's fierce shot from the right of goal beat netminder Davey Lawrence for the second goal.
Archer and Christie then had a hand in the hosts' third goal with Czech Ales Parez finishing off at 14mins 10secs. That goal effectively ended Telford's challenge and Lawrence's goal came under intense pressure during the remainder of the first period and for much of the second.
The lead was extended at 25mins 28secs as Parez won the puck on the left and fed Michael Wales who fired high into the net.
Just over two minutes later it was 5-0 as Gareth Owen was penalised for slashing and Lightning took only 14 seconds to take advantage on the powerplay – Pease registering a rare goal from Gary Clarke's blue line set up.
On the half hour mark Lightning's giant new defenceman Zatopek who looked a force to be reckoned with was sent to the sin bin for interference on Jason Cassells but Telford were unable to make the extra man count.
They did however reduce the arrears in the 34th minute when Marek Hornak shot high into the goal.
Stunned by this Lightning quickly conceded a second goal at 34mins 50secs with Scott Williams getting the honours straight from a face off.
There was still time though for the home team to restore their lead before the second break with Chris McEwen threading the puck through to Smulter who showed great puck control before firing past Daniel Heslop who had replaced Lawrence in the Telford goal.
Former Lightning man Daniel Croft was called for hooking less than a minute later and Wales made it 7-2 on the powerplay, first-timing Parez' behind the net pass.
The third period was tame by comparison with Lightning content to ease off the gas as Telford showed some improvement.
But there was one more goal from Lightning as Pease sent Matt Towalski away up the right. Using Grant McPherson as a decoy Towalski shot into the roof of the net at 57mins 38secs.
The next day at Telford the home team continued their improvement and Lightning were unable to break them down until well into the second period.
Lightning took the lead through Gary Clarke with a shot from the narrowest of angles and Pease added the second on a powerplay as he tipped in a Zatopek blue line blast.
Telford tried to pile on the pressure in the third period but to no avail – their cause not helped by the dismissal of Ashley Stanton who tried to pick a fight with Parez. The Czech was having none of it and Stanton received five plus match for roughing as well as two minutes for cross-checking and 10 minutes for dropping his gloves.
Photographs by Jez Tibbetts. Order these photos and more at www.photoboxgallery.com/mk-lightning
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Weather for Milton Keynes
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: East
