MK Lightning suffer title blow with back-to-back losses

Leeds Knights delivered two blows to MK Lightning’s chances at the weekend
MK LightningMK Lightning
MK Lightning

Milton Keynes Lightning suffered a big blow to their hopes of winning the National Ice Hockey League with back-to-back defeats against Leeds Knights at the weekend.

Lightning went down 4-2 at Planet Ice on Saturday before enduring a nightmare trip to Knights’ Elland Road rink the next day where they lost 8-2.

On Saturday a phenomenal performance by netminder, Sam Gospel, together with some unimaginative finishing, saw the visitors take the two points.

Lightning were still in with a chance until the final minute when goalie Matt Smital raced out of his goal to try to halt the approaching Kieran Brown on a break away with the home defence caught out on the offensive. It proved an unwise move as Brown won the challenge and was able to put the puck into what was, in effect, an empty net with 45 seconds remaining to make it 4-2.

The night had started so well for the hosts who scored after just 1min 45secs when Sean Norris shot in from the left side of goal after being set up by Bobby Chamberlain and Lewis Christie.

The home sided failed to make anything of an 11th minute powerplay resulting from Harry Gulliver’s tripping of Liam Stewart. Having seen that off, Leeds started to change the balance of play and they stepped up their game further at the start of the second period with Brandon Whistle testing Smital in the first minute.

It was a 25th minute Lewis Christie dropped the gloves to engage with Ethan Hehir in a rare fight for the MK player. Both received five minutes in the penalty box for their efforts with Christie earning an extra two for instigation.

While both were still in their respective sin bins, Leeds equalised through Adam Barnes on 30mins 2secs. The visitors edged ahead within 2mins 38secs of the start of the final session when Smital was beaten by a high shot by Cole Shudra.

MK’s task became even greater when Leigh Jamieson was caught hooking on 49mins 22secs. On the powerplay a rocket shot from Brown made it 3-1 at 51mins 5secs.

However Lightning were not down and out – Norris responded with a super finish high into the net on 53mins 48secs to give the home side a chance of a fightback. However, it all came to nothing, thanks to Brown’s last minute fourth goal for the visitors.

The following evening Knights inflicted a second defeat on Lightning at Elland Road. But unlike the first meeting between the teams there was little doubt about the result once the home team had taken a 5-2 lead by the 35th minute.

The home side went in front on 6mins 53secs with a powerplay goal from Kieran Brown – his rocket from the face off point beating goalie Matt Smital. The man advantage was the result of the two plus two minutes handed to Tim Wallace for cross-checking and roughing in a clash with Jordan Fisher.

Knights’ Ross Kennedy and Lightning’s Mikey Power then engaged in a bout of fisticuffs – Power quickly downed - with both players sent to the penalty boxes for five minutes before the visitors were on the wrong end of a three on one as they failed to clamp down on Brown for goal number two.

Man of the match Hallden Barnes Garner reduced the arrears on 22mins 30secs but Adam Barnes restored the two goal advantage on 29mins 20secs.

An unassisted Cole Shudra goal with a rocket from the point put Knights in control at 32mins 11secs ahead of a hooking call for Ben Russell, putting MK on the penalty kill. Despite that, Sam Talbot was able to get on the end of a long pass from James Griffin, to score short handed at 33mins 33secs.

Lightning conceded again when Barnes scored his second goal at 35mins 21secs to give Knights a 5-2 lead at the second break.

Worse was to come in the third session as Archie Hazeldine’s shot rebounded off goal Matt Smital for Matty Davies to pounce and score at 45mins 49secs for the sixth strike.

Less than three minutes later Smital was picking the puck out of the goal again after Harry Gulliver shot through his legs on 49mins 37secs. It was Smital’s last action as he was replaced between the pipes by Brandon Stones.

Gulliver went on to register his second marker at 54mins 27secs when he shot from behind the goal line with the puck taking a deflection off Stones’ skate to make it 8-2.