5 Years on: Game Night Report – 2015 Play-Off Final v Manchester Phoenix

It’s great to see that so many hockey fans wanted to dip into the ‘beyond the blue line’ blog five years after the Phantoms triumphed in 2015.

In many ways semi-final was viewed as the best game of hockey that the Phantoms played that season; the Tigers were double winners and looking to emulate the Phantoms own treble winning achievements six years earlier.  What unfolded in that semi-final was a triumph of excellent coaching and execution from the players that saw the Phantoms make the Sunday final in what would be the final game in the career of British hockey legend, Tony Hand.

These were heady days in the English Premier League; we saw a Phantoms team with James and Robbie Ferrara (sporting the #27 Hutchinson jersey!), Will Weldon, Tom Norton, Scott Robson, and a young Martins Susters who have all been fundamental to Peterborough hockey since the play-off win, alongside ace netminder Janis Auzins, Darius Pliskauskas, Eddie Bebris, Milan Baranyk,Donatas Kumeliauskas, Luke Ferrara and Marc Levers.  Surely a roster built for success?

This is how the final panned out,as reported in ‘beyond the blue line’, April 5th 2015:

The Story of a Play-Off Winning Weekend, part two

EPL Play Off Final 5^th April 2015
Peterborough Phantoms 5 Manchester Phoenix 2

As we all now know, standing in front of the Peterborough Phantoms’ first trophy since 2009 was the Manchester Phoenix.

Before, during and after the Phoenix’ 7-4 victory against Milton Keynes there was plenty of discussion amongst the Phantoms’ faithful as to who they would rather face. Opinions were divided between those who wanted a match up against our local rivals, the Lightning, or if the Phantoms would fare better against Manchester in what would be the last appearance of the British ice hockey legend, Tony Hand.

The Phantoms had performed so well in their semi-final that the general feeling was that if they performed in a similar way in the final it wouldn’t matter who they played. My preference was Manchester. The Phantoms had an excellent record against the Phoenix in the regular season, winning five in the six game series, and in the Manchester-MK semi-final you couldn’t help but get the feeling that the Phantoms would be able to carve out opportunities, and that they would have the advantage if we it came down to a battle of the net-minders.

I also had a feeling that MK would’ve given the Phantoms a more difficult game. With ex-Phantoms Hook and Cownie forming part of a devastating line alongside Kostourek there would be plenty to fear, though the player that really stood out in the second semi-final was Robin Kovar for the Phoenix.   Additionally, the Phoenix have Frankie Bakrlik, a player I have always wanted to see in a Phantoms jersey, and someone who brings a physical presence that is extremely difficult to play against.

And then there was the Tony Hand factor. The headline writers had probably readied their words in anticipated of a perfect end to a 34 year playing career where Hand, the first British player drafted in the NHL and former GB head-coach could lift silverware in his final game. The reception and recognition that Hand received in Coventry at the weekend and throughout British hockey as this season has concluded has shown the respect with which the British ‘Mr-Hockey’ has been held.

To add further uncertainty into the mix Saturday evening saw an announcement regarding the ownership of the Phoenix and their relationship with the owners of their ice rink in Altrincham. Would this be a distraction to the Phoenix or galvanise them further?

What unfolded in the first thirteen or so minutes was just beyond the Phantoms’ wildest dreams. Lining up in their familiar red jerseys despite being the top seed in the final and designated as the home side, the Phantoms soaked up early pressure from the Phoenix before scoring three goals in a little over thirteen minutes to build a platform that would prove to be decisive.

Milan Baranyk tormented the Phoenix throughout the game, and on 2 13 opened the scoring as his shot from behind Fone’s goal deflected off the netminder and into the goal.

Two minutes later Scott Robson swept in a powerplay goal, unmarked on the edge of Fone’s crease following an elbow from Ben Wood on Milan Baranyk had given the Phantoms a numerical advantage.

The Phantoms pushed hard in this phase of the game, which was so reminiscent of the quarter final away leg in Swindon when the Phantoms had stormed to a 4-0 lead and taken control of that tie. The Peterborough side were playing with real pace, with Baranyk, Kumeliauskas and Pliskauskas all speeding into the Manchester zone. Kumeliauskas shot wide and Fone needed to be at his best to save from Cam McGiffin and notably Darius Pliskauskas, who stole the puck on the blue line, only to see his shot saved.

After 3 17 Baranyk scored his second, and the Phantoms third of the game following great work from Edgars Bebris in the neutral zone. At 3-0 the Phantoms fans could scarcely believe the start that their side had made, and yet knew that the game was far from over. Recalling the three unanswered goals scored by Swindon in the quarter final it was clear that the game was not over yet..

Rather than sitting on the lead the Phantoms went for the kill in a spell of hockey that was quite simply breath taking. Koulikov fired slightly wide and as Joe Graham sat on a hooking call Marc Levers hit the post, tipping a Tom Norton blue line drive.

On 16 33 the Phantoms incurred their first penalty of the game as Levers himself received a high stick call of his own and as the penalty expired, on 18 15 in the first period, James Archer swept the puck into the net as the Phantoms couldn’t clear their own zone.

At the first buzzer, a scoreline of 3-1 by no means flattered the Phantoms. Despite shots on goal being even at 14, the Phantoms had dominated, and in truth could’ve been five or six up had Fone not made crucial stops when he did.

With such a lead there is a conundrum – should a team defend what they have or go for more goals? The Phoenix came out hard in the second period and dominated possession. Archer skated through the Phantoms defensive zone and round the net but there would no Phoenix player on the end of his pass, and Will Weldon and Luke Ferrara sat for holding and Donatas Kumeliauskas for high sticks, as the Phantoms tried to quell the Manchester pressure.

As had been the case in the Phantoms’ semi-final, their penalty kill did an exceptional job in the second period.

Just as the Phantoms thought they’d seen off the worst of the Manchester challenge they got caught on a poor line change. With only two minutes left of the second period, and with the score still at 3-1 Frantisek Bakrlik stood in acres of space on the Phantoms’ blue line, controlled a pass from Joe Graham, skated into the offensive zone and cannoned a shot past Auzins to reduce the deficit and increase the tension in the Peterborough camp.

The third period saw the Phoenix up the physical intensity of their game, with Bakrlik involved in an incident with Robson that saw the Phoenix man subject of resounding boos in the arena. Burlin, Watkins and Bakrlik all took two minute penalties which handed the momentum back to the Phantoms, and an incident near the Phoenix bench saw Luke Ferrara prostrate on the ice.

On 52 33 the game crucially tipped in the Phantoms favour once more. Watkins and Bakrilk’s high stick and holding penalties came within 23 seconds of each other, giving the Phantoms a 5-on-3 opportunity, and before the first penalty had expired Marc Levers jammed the puck under Fone for a 4-2 lead.

In the closing moments it would be down to captain James Ferrara to conclude the scoring , bundling the puck into the net to complete a memorable victory 5-2 victory, to scenes of jubilation both on the ice and on the stands.

MoM: Auzins (Phantoms) and Hand (Phoenix)

The Peterborough Phantoms mantra all season has been about the importance of the team over individual performers, and this weekend encapsulated that perfectly. The coaching staff, bolstered by Koulikov Snr has got the best out of a team where hard work, dedication to the cause and no small amount of skill has reaped fine rewards.

For a Phantoms team that failed to make the play-offs at all last year to finish fourth in the table and to be crowned champions at the end of the league’s showpiece weekend is an outstanding achievement, and shows how far the club have travelled in a small amount of time.

I’m a firm believer in there being a time for a team to grab their chance, and would always fear that if that chance is not taken, it may not come round again too soon. The Phantoms took their opportunity and everyone person involved in the club deserves credit for their contribution that has seen the Phantoms gate-crash the usual suspects and deservedly lift a cup for the first time in six years.

Well done to the Peterborough Phantoms, and thank you to Rob and Sue Housden who step down after fourteen years at the helm. What a way to sign off!

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at  ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram @its_phil_smithfollow for regular Phantoms updates.

5^th April 2015

5 Years on: Game Night Report – 2015 Play-Off Semi-Final v Telford Tigers

Where did that time go?  ‘beyond the blue line’ started with some football and a whole load of ice hockey, and ran for 225 posts in the five years from July 2013 to October 2018 – covering a number of highs and lows of the hockey scene well before the Phantoms media game was where is is now, and largely in a climate where there was much less in terms of coverage of the Phantoms and hockey at this level.

If you are relatively new to the Phantoms you won’t have seen this stuff before and might have some interest in the match night reports, interviews and Q&As and other articles that were produced over the life of the blog.  Use the tags and dip into what was a regular part of Phantoms hockey media up until last season, where balancing writing and match night commentary duties felt like it had become too time consuming.

In October 2018 I published what had been the last post in what ended up being a successful season, with the Phantoms bagging a couple of trophies despite falling at the last hurdle to the Hull Pirates in the play-off final in Coventry.

In our current lockdown there has been a whole load of nostalgia on the internet, and as we might well have been in Coventry this weekend for the annual play-off jamboree, there seemed no better time to post my reports from the semi final against Telford and the final against the Manchester Phoenix.

Maybe if you hang around here long enough there’ll be some new stuff too…

The Story of a Play-Off Winning Weekend, part one

EPL Play-Off Semi Final 4^th April 2015
Telford Tigers 2 Peterborough Phantoms 4

Semi-Final victory celebrations

What a fantastic weekend for the Peterborough Phantoms, EPL Play-Off Champions 2014-15.

Regular readers of ‘beyond the blue line’ will know that there is usually a match report after each game I attend, so rather than simply posting about the final, I thought it would be quite appropriate to revisit both games in a historic weekend that sees the Phantoms lift their first trophy since 2008-2009.

Having finished fourth in the English Premier League and defeated the Swindon Wildcats in the quarter finals, the Phantoms matched up against the league and cup winning Telford Tigers, with probably everyone outside of the Phantoms’ camp anticipating that this 1^st vs 4^th encounter would go the way of the Shropshire side.

In truth, the Phantoms have fared relatively well against the Tigers over the course of the season, managing to defeat them both home and away in a season where the champions only suffered six regulation time defeats. As a result, there was a degree of optimism amongst the Phantoms, and a belief that a game plan, well executed, could see them through to the final.

By 1:00pm, with the warm-up over, the Phantoms lined up in their familiar red away uniform, with the Tigers in white. Marc Levers and Peter Szabo took the opening face-off from referee Pickett, with the supporters of the Tigers and the Phantoms making noise in anticipation of the action to come.

Whilst semi-finals can often be cagey affairs, this one started frenetically, with the Phantoms making a positive start as both James Ferrara and Donatas Kumeliauskas did well in the opening seconds.

The Phantoms got the start they could only have dreamt about at the end of a spell of concerted pressure as player/coach Slava Koulikov swept the puck into an empty cage on 1 56, as ex-Phantom Murdy saved to his right before the rebound was fed to Koulikov who made no mistake.

Telford tried to impose themselves on the game and put increasing pressure on the Phantoms’ rear guard. Veteran Jonathan Weaver laid big hits on both Koulikov and Pliskauskas and though the Phantoms were holding their own at his point, and may have even extended their lead through Kumeliauskas, the Phantoms suffered a harsh charging call by the officials on Edgars Bebris after 10 25.

The resulting powerplay saw Telford knot things up at 1-1 on 11 14 through a Max Birbraer rocket from the blue line that sped past a screened Auzins.

Telford dominated the exchanges in the middle part of this first period. James Ferrara and Rick Plant came to blows after the Phantoms’ captain was adjudged to have held Plant’s stick, and both sides had chances as the Tigers tried to capitalise on their numerical advantage, with Ondrej coming close with a backhander immediately after Bebris was foiled one-on-one with Murdy.

As we entered the last minute of the period Kumeliauskas, relishing the big ice, skated from back to front, only to be levelled by Weaver who took a 2+10 penalty for a check from behind.

Stat fans would be aware that the Phantoms had scored more PP goals than any other team in the league this year, and would add another to their total as Luke Ferrara fired home from the high slot to make the score 2-1 to the Phantoms with just two seconds of the period left.

The Phantoms would’ve wanted to keep the game close and not give the Tigers any opportunity to gain momentum, yet within 42 seconds of the start of the second period Edgars Bebris was thrown out of the game following a high stick call that must’ve drawn blood.

The Phantoms have also had the EPL’s best penalty kill this year (83.4%) and would need to be at their best whilst Bebris’ five minute call wound down. Fortunately for the Phantoms, for two of those minutes the Tigers were also reduced to four men as Peter Szabo, the EPL’s Player of the Year, sat for high sticks.

With the penalty kill working well the Phantoms grew in confidence, rallied by their noisy supporters who recognised the worth of such stout defensive work. Murdy stopped efforts from Tom Norton and Darius Pliskauskas and as tempers started to boil over Kumeliauskas and Ondrej took penalties at 6 19 of the second period for roughing and high-sticks respectively, with the Phantoms’ man sitting for 2+2, giving the Tigers another powerplay opportunity and the Phantoms’ penalty kill more work to do.

On 30 42, just half way through this pulsating game, Pliskauskas extended the Phantoms’ lead on a delayed penalty after Weaver had penalised for slashing, jamming home in front of the Phantoms supporters, at the end of a terrific solo drive towards Murdy’s goal.

Shots on goal had been pretty even in the first period, but in the second the Tigers had 16 sots on Auzins, whilst the Phantoms had 6 on Murdy, and yet the period finished 3-1, with Pliskauskas’ tally the only goal of the period.

Within two minutes of the start of the third and final frame the Tigers had reduced their deficit to one, as Rick Plant rifled a shot from the edge of the right hand face-off circle past Auzins. The Telford supporters sensed a comeback was on and raised the noise levels considerably, but Auzins and the Phantoms’ defence stood firm, with Scott Robson in particular playing with a maturity beyond his experience and age.

With just less than three minutes remaining Pliskauskas scored his second, and the Phantoms’ fourth goal of the afternoon to effectively settle the game. And what a goal it was! Pliskauskas picked the puck up on the edge of the offensive zone, span, and sat Murdy down before finishing with style.

Without doubt, Pliskauskas is a big game player, and on this stage he looked to be the top forward that we know he is.

There was still time for a crowd scene around Janis Auzins, but there were to be no more goals. The Phantoms had deservedly won their semi-final 4-2.

MoM: Auzins (Phantoms) and Zajac (Tigers)

This game saw the Phantoms’ imports stand tall.  Baranyk and Kumeliauskas threatened time after time, Pliskauskas scored two beauties, and of course, there’s Janis Auzins, who Phantoms’ fans see perform so well week in, week out.

Auzins took the MoM beers yet again, though calling a Man of the Match from this performance doesn’t do justice to the herculean efforts from the whole team. Though outshot by 29 to 38, the Phantoms took their chances and showed once again that when they need it to be, the defensive side of their game can be as good as any in the league.

Credit to the Koulikovs for the organisation and the game plan, and credit to the whole team for executing it so well.

Scenes at the end of the game showed the delight in the Phantoms’ camp and in the stands. The question would be whether the Phantoms would prove to have enough in the tank for the final after such a performance.

The Manchester Phoenix would be the Phantoms’ opponents, prevailing 7-4 against our old rivals the MK Lightning in a thrilling encounter. The scoreline probably flattered the Phoenix somewhat as they notched two late empty net goals as the Lightning pushed for a life line, but in Robin Kovar they had the standout performer of the game, and along with Frantisek Bakrlik there would be a real threat to the Phantoms.

And of course, the Phantoms would also be facing Tony Hand, MBE, playing his last competitive fixture after an illustrious 34 year playing career.

It would be down to the Phantoms to rewrite the headlines that the journalist may have written in readiness for Hand’s last hurrah.

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at  ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram @its_phil_smith and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

5th April 2015

Season 2017-18: Invicta Dynamos (Saturday 14th October 2017)

Peterborough Phantoms 5 Invicta Dynamos 2

MoM Leigh Jamieson

Another weekend, and another chance for the Phantoms to get a look at one of the former NIHL sides after a four point cup weekend last time round.

It’s been a few years since the Phantoms met Invicta – in fact we need to go back to September 2013 (see here http://wp.me/p3I8ZK-24 for an early ‘beyond the blue line’ report ) when the Phantoms ran out 7-4 winners here in Peterborough, in a match probably most remembered for a couple of third period scraps between a certain Alan Lack and Phantoms’ Cesky and Watt.

This league game was a different proposition and made interesting viewing as the relatively short benched Dynamos soaked up pressure from the Phantoms and deservedly took the lead with eleven minutes gone, when Condren finished after the puck had come back off a post from a drive from the point.

The Phantoms had dominated possession in the first period but had failed to create too much in the way of clear cut chances, and former Phantom nettie Damien King was stopping everything that got past a resolute and hardworking Invicta defence.

Phantoms’ fans would’ve expected their team to come out firing at the start of the second period, but it would be the visitors who would get the second goal of the evening, to give themselves a 2-0 lead after 27 minutes.  Brandon Webster and Ondrej Zosiak broke with speed, outnumbered the Phantoms defence, and the big Slovakian passed crisply to the young forward, who finished from the edge of the crease to give Invicta a two goal lead.

Three of the last four Phantoms games have seen them hit double figures, but this fixture was turning into something different, giving the players and the fans much more competitive hockey.  Pliskauskas got the Phantoms on the board with a little under half of the game in the book, and as Invicta took three penalties in the last 10 minutes of the second period, James Ferrara and Leigh Jamieson managed to turn the game round and give the home side a 3-2 lead after forty minutes.

We’d had a one goal game after two periods when the Phantoms split eleven goals with the Hull Pirates through forty minutes a week ago, only for Koulikov’s men to score five in the final period, and once more the Phantoms put the game out of the reach of their visitors in the final period.

This time round they bagged two more in the final frame, as firstly Will Weldon (getting on the end of an odd man rush and finishing well) and Darius Pliskauskas with a beauty, hit on the turn from the slot above King’s left shoulder finished the scoring at 5-2 to the Phantoms.

I’ve said it before, but it is worth reiterating here; the narrative that the former NIHL sides would just play to spoil and need to out muscle the former EPIHL sides is not proving to be true.  In the tightest of games played against our new rivals (Invicta in this game and Streatham a couple of weeks ago) we have seen the Phantoms have to work for their win, and whilst victory against the Dynamos was likely given the depth and quality of the Phantoms’ roster, it was secured later in the game than observers might have expected it to have been.

This was another game where you thought that the addition of another couple of experienced players to the Dynamos’ lineup, and the return of the absent Callum Fowler might well have put the Phantoms under greater pressure than they were.

Damien King was excellent for Invicta, with Zosiak looking a good player too.  Brandon Webster took his goal well, and his brother, former Phantom Mason saw plenty of ice time, creating a number of opportunities in the process.

Once the Phantoms grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck late in the second period, they never looked back.  Darius Pliskauskas ran Leigh Jamieson close for the Man of the Match award; not only did he produce a highlight reel goal for his second and the Phantoms fifth, but his creativity and awareness created chance after chance for the Phantoms.  Jamieson, Weldon, Norton and Long all showed their quality as the Phantoms secured a sixth successive league victory, with all eyes on the away game in Streatham on Sunday, and perhaps more importantly, the game against Swindon next weekend.

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at   ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram its_phil_smith and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

 

Season 2017-18: Basingstoke Bison (Sunday 3rd September 2017)

Peterborough Phantoms 6 (6) Basingstoke Bison 5 (10)

Leigh Jamieson – a goal and MoM on home debut

A first home fixture of the season saw the Phantoms prevail by the odd goal in 11 but lose on aggregate to the Bison who lifted the Billy Glover Memorial Trophy in a combative challenge contest.

Scores were level after 20 minutes, with Dan Lackey equalising Ales Padelek’s first minute strike on 12 41 in a first period that also saw Tomas Karpov leave the game with what appeared to be a facial injury and a coming together between Tom Norton and Aaron Connolly following a play on the boards as Karpov made his way to the bench.  Though the Phantoms started brightly the Bison’s passing game looked crisper as they skated through the neutral zone and over the Phantoms’ blue line on a number of occasions without adding to the score.

The second period saw the teams trade three more goals, with the Phantoms taking the lead on two further occasions, through Leigh Jamieson with his first for the club, followed by a Padelek’s second of the evening on a powerplay, and Basingstoke replying through a Kurt Reynolds floater that found its way to the net from the point at the end of a period of concerted pressure for the visitors.

The final frame saw a terrific one timer finish from Joe Baird after Connolly had worked his magic in the Phantoms’ zone to tie the game at three before Will Weldon restored the Phantoms’ lead with a powerplay tally on the doorstep, beating Dan Weller-Evans who had replaced Dean Skinns in the Basingstoke goal.

Four goals in the last four minutes, from Padelek with his hat-trick marker and a picture book goal from Darius Pliskauskas in the slot split by an Antonov strike made the game 6-4, with Grant Rounding finishing over Adam Long’s left shoulder in the postage stamp between post and cross-bar to conclude the scoring at 6-5, amid uncertainty as to whether the tie would be decided on aggregate or by overtime as a result of each team winning a game.

Takeaways

1.       We know it is pre-season, and there was a suggestion that the Bison are a week ahead of the Phantoms in their preparation, but it was nice to see the Phantoms take the game having been defeated in Hampshire the night before.  Whilst it’s all about game fitness, lines and new teammates at this stage, it’s also nice to get the season under way with some positives too.

2.       Padelek knew the way to goal from the off, finishing with precision, and there was also a pretty strike from Darius Pliskauskas.  This pair have bags of experience and I suspect will be amongst the highest scoring imports in the league this year.

3.       Leigh Jamieson and Nathan Salem had excellent home debuts and will be hugely popular with the Phantoms’ fans.  Jamieson’s endeavours were rewarded with a goal and the MoM decision, and his strength and leadership will be invaluable.  Salem skates well, is aggressive and will pick up plenty of points down the stretch.

4.       Of the other new recruits Glenn Billing showed some good work, whilst Will Weldon shone in a 1+3 performance.

5.       For the Bison Aaron Connolly was a worthy candidate for the MoM beers, though Kurt Reynolds also had a strong game, as did former Phantoms Jaroslav Cesky, and Dean Skinns, who showed again that he’ll be a top netminder this year.

6.       Conceding 10 goals in the two games over the weekend will be something that the coaching staff will want to address, pre-season or not.  Both sides turned the puck over to give the other opportunities and there were some tidy finishes for both the Phantoms and the Bison, but we wouldn’t expect this scoreline once the season proper has started.

All in all this was an enjoyable encounter that had enough of an edge to make it feel competitive and worth watching.

Next week, another of the bigger guns in the NIHL south, the Swindon Wildcats.

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at   ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram its_phil_smith and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

Season 2016-17 Week 24: Bracknell Bees

Peterborough Phantoms 6 Bracknell Bees 7 (PSO)

Phantoms’ MoM Darius Pliskauskas

Well, it had to happen sometime, and here’s two dates you might want to reflect upon – Sunday 3^rd March 2013, and Sunday 9^th October 2016.

The first of those dates, stretching back to the last game against the Bees in the 2012-13 season was the last time Bracknell beat the Phantoms – a 4-0 victory for the home side down in Berkshire if memory serves correctly.  Since then the Phantoms have won 23 consecutive games against the Bees, meaning almost four seasons worth of games home and away going have seen the Phantoms have picked up the points.

There have been some close results in the least four years, not least a 5-4 win for the Phantoms in Bracknell at the end of November, or even an overtime win at The Hive in November 2015, and an overtime win in Peterborough in October 2014, but wherever the game has been played the Phantoms have managed, somehow, to keep the run going, until last night (Saturday 18^th February 2017), when the Bees finally got the Peterborough monkey off their collective backs.

By the time that Marc Levers gave the Phantoms a 4-1 first period lead, tapping in a Darius Pliskauskas pass on the doorstep on a late powerplay, most of the supporters (and the players and coaching staff of both teams) in the rink would have expected the Phantoms to continue their fine form against the Bees, but with Wehebe Darge stepping out of the game after the first period to rest an injury in advance of games on the horizon, and with the Bees starting the second period on the front foot, momentum quickly switched from the Phantoms to their visitors.

Within just 6 41 of the second period on the board the Bees had reduced their deficit to a single goal with Carl Thompson beating Adam Long from distance and Rio Grinell-Parke adding a third for the Bees, assisted by Lukas Smital and Martin Pavlicek.

The Bees had taken the game to the Phantoms and pressed for an equaliser, though it would be the Phantoms who scored the eighth goal of the evening, James White picking up a pass off the boards behind the goal from James Archer, and beating his man on the edge of the crease, lifting the puck over Matthew Smital in the Bracknell goal to make the score 5-3.

If the Phantoms thought that was job done, they needed to think again.  An unmarked Shaun Thompson fired into an empty goal on a powerplay late in the frame to make the score 5-4, and in the final stanza Luka Basic and Thompson once more made it three unanswered goals for the Bees, giving the visitors a remarkable 6-5 lead with nine minutes to go.

The final strike in regulation time saw the Phantoms notch their second powerplay goal of the evening.   Tom Norton shaped to shoot from the blue line but passed to Darius Pliskauskas and the veteran forward swept the puck home with just five minutes remaining to tie the game up at 6.

Overtime couldn’t provide a winner; Adam Long made a flashing glove save to keep the score at 6-6, and was also saved by his right hand post when a David Gaborcik shot cannoned out, and at the other end Matthew Smital snuffed out the chances created by the Phantoms.

And so to penalties – scored by Basic and Lukas Smital for the Bees, saved by Matthew Smital from Petr Stepanek and Darius Pliskauskas, giving the Bees their first victory against Peterborough for a long, long time.

Takeaways

1. No sour grapes here – well done to the Bees. At 4-1 down they might’ve folded, but sensed they could get in the game early in the second period, which they did through Carl Thompson and Rio Grinell-Parke.  As soon as the deficit was reduced the Phantoms looked a shadow of the team they had been in the first period and with momentum switching to the visitors the Phantoms struggled to contend with the aggressive fore-checking of the Bees, whose pace and industry trumped that of the Phantoms.

2. Credit to the Bees then, though this was a game the Phantoms should still have won; leading 3-1, 4-1, and crucially after the Bees third goal seeing the Phantoms strike back for a 5-3 lead through White with a goal that was somewhat against the run of play, I would’ve expected the Phantoms to take the game to their opponents. The Phantoms didn’t take their chances, turned the puck over too many times in dangerous areas, and having dropped a gear struggled to dominate late in the game.  The Phantoms conceded soft goals and once the Bees were back in the game the Phantoms couldn’t shake them off.

3. It was good to see Ben Russell back on the ice, and though the Phantoms were missing James Ferrara, Janis Auzins and Scott Robson, it is starting to feel like bodies are starting to return to the line-up. It was also pleasing to see Rob Ferrara play after the injury he sustained in Swindon on Wednesday, and pleasing too to see him receive the captain’s C in the absence of his brother James.

4. A point gained or a point lost? The late deficit was recovered by the Phantoms to secure a single point, but given their early lead this was a case of the one that got away.

As for the Bees?

Lukas Smital received the Man of the Match beers, though I think that Matthew Smital in the Bees goal had a fair shout for the award.  Conceding four quick fire goals in the first period could’ve rattled the young netminder, but through the remaining forty five minutes and penalties, he did well.  Shaun Thompson continued to show what a great pick up he has been for the Bees this year, and Luka Basic impressed too.

The odds had been on a Phantoms victory, but the Bees showed great resilience in their fightback and deserved the extra point in this breathless, end to end encounter.

 

You might wonder about that other date in the introduction to this piece – Sunday 9^th October 2016.  That was a night when the Phantoms raced to an early lead against the Sheffield Steeldogs and ultimately lost in a shoot-out, in game that was almost a carbon copy of this defeat to the Bees.  The Phantoms have taken big leads in other games this year, including games against Hull, Sheffield and Swindon, and finished the job, but need to ensure that they do not drop a gear once they are ahead – there’s enough evidence to show that on any night any team in this league can prevail against any other.

 

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at   ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram its_phil_smith and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

Season 2016-17 Week 14: Bracknell Bees

Peterborough Phantoms 2 Bracknell Bees 0

Game Winner – Sam Towner

When the Bees drove out of Peterborough on Sunday they could be forgiven for shaking their heads and wondering when they are going to snap this 22 game streak the Phantoms have over them, stretching back to March 2013.

This was the third consecutive weekend where the Phantoms and the Bees have faced each other, and after 30 goals in the previous three games this year fans might well have expected the Phantoms to win, scoring a hatful in the process.  In truth, this was a game that was in the balance for large periods, with the Bees shading a scoreless first period, and despite out shooting the Phantoms by a margin of 16-13 there were relatively few first class opportunities at either end.

The spark the game needed was provided by Wahebe Darge with almost half of the game played.  Darge chased down a puck played by Owen Griffiths into the corner and showed considerable tenacity to regain possession for the Phantoms before playing a pinpoint pass into the path of Sam Towner, who calmly fired the puck into the roof of the net for the game winning goal.

Towner has had a barren run following an early season injury, and the way that both he, the Phantoms on the ice, and the crowd celebrated the goal is testament to the young forward’s popularity here in his first season in Peterborough.

Bracknell responded well to falling behind, and despite only having 15 skaters they continually put Janis Auzins under pressure.  The Latvian stopper was called on time and again throughout the game, and it looked like the Bees would score a short-handed marker for a second week running when firstly Shaun Thompson (hooking) and then Lukas Smital (elbows) took a seat in the penalty box.

The third period went the way as much of the first two, though the intensity of the game increased as the clock wound down.  The longer the game proceeded the Bees became more dangerous and the Phantoms’ lead became more vulnerable, and though the Phantoms held the puck for long periods, and created one or two half chances, the Bees created plenty of their own.

Janis Auzins was a deserved Man of the Match for the Phantoms, denying a number of chances from the Bees.  This wasn’t a situation where you’d point the finger at the Bees’ forwards and say they were guilty of poor finishing; for the most part Janis Auzins put in another of those displays which Phantoms’ fans are just so used to seeing, and perhaps we take for granted.

With 48 12 on the clock Petr Stepanek gave the Phantoms some breathing room as Martins Susters battled on the boards, winning the puck and riding a check before passing to Stepanek who gave himself some room with a deft touch before finishing past Mettam.

With 70 ticks remaining Smital pulled Mettam, but the Bees couldn’t make their numerical superiority count, in no small part due to some last ditch defence work, and more heroics from #33.

Takeaways

1. A win’s a win, and though there is plenty to reflect on, it felt like the game was pretty flat, with both sides waiting for something to happen and neither having the guile to really carve the opposition open. Credit Bracknell – after being on the wrong end of an 8-2 scoreline last week they closed the Phantoms down quickly and were in no mood to lie down.  Perhaps one or two of the Phantoms thought the game would be more straight forward than it was, but the chances for the boys in blue were few and far between.  Too often the Phantoms saw their offensive play broken up, or a puck played from the Phantoms’ forwards evaded the defencemen on the blue line, which contributed to a frustrating and scrappy affair as the Phantoms had to build once more.

2. Mettam and Auzins were deservedly awarded the Man of the Match beers. So often the sponsors pick their favourite player rather than one of the ‘stars of the game’, but on this occasion they were spot-on.  Mettam’s save percentage was 94.59% and Auzins kept out all 37 shots on goal to remain top of the EPIHL’s netminder stats at this stage of the season.  In a game with relatively few standout performances the two netminders deserved their accolades.

3. A mention in dispatches for Wahebe Darge and Tom Norton. For the second weekend running Darge skated tirelessly, and it was Darge’s industry that led to Towner’s game winning goal.  While Auzins, Padelek, Stepanek and Pliskauskas grab the headlines, Darge quietly creates plenty for his line mates without necessarily getting on the score sheet himself.  As for Tom Norton?  I thought his D work was outstanding against the Bees, both at the back, where you’d expect him to be, but also through the neutral zone and backing up on the blue line too.

4. The Phantoms move into fourth place at this stage of the season, and have only dropped three points at home all year. There’s some tough games on the horizon, but for now it’s Fortress Bretton.

5. One record continues while another is snapped. The Phantoms win streak is now five games, and after 18 consecutive games with at least a point, including 16 goals and 17 assists, Darius Pliskauskas didn’t trouble the scorers this evening, despite a late swing on an empty net opportunity.  It’s been a great run from the veteran forward.

As for the Bees?

A solid performance from a short-benched Bracknell, who created as many chances as the Phantoms, and but for Auzins may have taken something from the game.  Other than Mettam I felt that Scott Spearing played well, as did the Thompsons, Shaun and Carl, and though the record book may prove me wrong, I felt that Shaun Thompson was used more sparingly in the face-off circle than last week when he was so impressive.  I’d have had him on as may draws as possible given his efficiency a week ago.

Next week?  Guildford and Telford.

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at   ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram its_phil_smith and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

Season 2016-17 Week 13: Bracknell Bees

Peterborough Phantoms 8 Bracknell Bees 2

MoM: Ales Padelek

The Phantoms coasted to a comfortable victory against the Bracknell Bees, securing valuable league points and a much coveted cup semi-final berth in the process, in their only game of the weekend.

With Milton Keynes beating Basingstoke on Friday the Phantoms knew that two points against the Bees would see them pip Doug Sheppard’s men to fourth place in the cup rankings courtesy of their head to head results, and for parts of the first period, and certainly until Ales Padelek opened the scoring with a powerplay goal after 8 32, there was more than a suggestion that the significance of the game was playing on the Phantoms’ nerves.

The Bees dictated the pace of the game in the early stages and there was precious little intensity in the opening exchanges, with neither netminder troubled unduly.  With little over eight minutes on the clock Scott Spearing took an interference call and thirty seconds later Padelek benefited from a sublime pass from Petr Stepanek and finished beautifully to give the home side the lead.  The Phantoms looked as though they had breathed a collective sigh of relief following the opener, and applied pressure on Mettam’s goal during the remainder of the period, with James Archer extending the lead with just 38 seconds before the buzzer with a sublime shot over Mettam’s shoulder, assisted by Pliskauskas and Padelek.

Padelek (a tap in) and Pliskauskas (a deft finish cutting through the slot and beating Mettam one-on-one) scored either side of a Luka Basic short-handed marker for the Bees to make the score 4-1 by 28 03 and two goals within a minute and a half from 37 19 saw James Ferrara put the finishing touches on a tic-tac-toe move with Towner and Darge, and Martins Susters benefit from Petr Stepanek’s strength to put the puck away on an odd man rush.

6-1 after forty minutes suggested the game was all but over, but both teams will have been mindful of the Bees’ four goal response to a Phantoms’ five goal lead last week.  As he had done in the first two periods, Ales Padelek got the first goal of the stanza and his hat-trick goal to cap off a fine performance, and James Ferrara scored unassisted after initially losing the puck in neutral ice just three minutes after David Gaborcik had scored the Bees second short-handed goal of the evening, picking up on an errant pass from Auzins and rifling the puck high into the Phantoms’ net.

Takeaways

1. With the Phantoms’ winning streak against the Bees sitting at 20 games before this fixture, and given the relative league placings of the two teams, many would’ve expected the Phantoms to have won this evening.  Nevertheless, Bracknell beat high flying Hull on Saturday and a win in this game was simply not foregone conclusion.  It was a nervy start to the game, with honours even in the early exchanges.  Credit then to the Phantoms, who put in a thoroughly professional performance in securing the victory.

2. The Bees found the Archer-Padelek-Pliskauskas line unplayable, and from a Phantoms’ perspective it was a real joy to behold. This trio picked up five goals and six assists in the game, and whenever they were on the ice the Phantoms looked threatening.

3. Padelek will grab the plaudits and he took the Man of the Match beers, but there was no finer performance on the night than that of James Archer. Archer was the big signing of the summer for the Phantoms, and the last few weeks, and tonight in particular, have shown what a contribution he can make.

4. Though Darius Pliskauskas capped off another night with a goal and a brace of assists to keep his hot streak going (I think that will be 16+17 in 18 games, at 1.83 ppg), my favourite goal of the evening was James Ferrara’s first, a great finish at the end of a terrific passing move.

5. It’ll seem like nit picking after an 8-2 victory (which in truth could’ve been 9, or 10, but for poor finishing), but the Phantoms turned the puck over too cheaply too many times, and conceded two poor short-handed goals. Whether these errors are down to a lack of concentration or not, and with respect to Bracknell who kept going in a game they were chasing for long periods, more clinical opposition would’ve made the Phantoms pay for poor work in their own zone, and a failure to execute the game plan efficiently enough.

As for the Bees?

Bracknell made a steady start to the game without challenging Auzins, and had they taken the lead the game may have taken a different turn.  Basic and Gaborcik scored the shorties, but my Man of the Match was Shaun Thompson, recently rejoining the Bees from Basingstoke, and showing what a great pick-up he’ll be for Smital’s side.  Thompson’s face-off stats would have been phenomenal, and his overall play was a real highlight.  The Bees have plenty of young players in their line up too, with Rio Grinell-Parke impressing in this game, along with Stead, Smith and Tetlow.

Minds now turn to next Sunday when the two sides meet once more in Peterborough.

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at   ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram its_phil_smith and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

 

Season 2016-17 Week 12: Manchester Phoenix

Peterborough Phantoms 9 Manchester Phoenix 1

MoM: Will Weldon

The Phantoms picked up four points in a weekend for the third time this season with two victories in fixtures the fans hoped they’d triumph in, but knowing how tough games can be, would’ve been wrong to assume that victory would’ve been a foregone conclusion.

In the final analysis, barring a six minute spell in the late stages of the final period in Bracknell that saw the Bees score four unanswered goals to challenge the Phantoms who had raced to a five goal lead inside fifty minutes, the games against Bracknell and Tony Hand’s Manchester Phoenix turned out just as the Phantoms would’ve wanted them to, with the exception of the bitten finger nails as the Bees tried to tie things up on Saturday.

Whether the late scare in Berkshire ensured the Phantoms took care of business on Sunday against the Phoenix we will never know, though once they had hit the front with an early Will Weldon goal from a pinpoint James Ferrara pass from the right face-off circle (and in turn a precision pass from Janis Auzins to Ferrara on the Phoenix blue line) with almost seven minutes of the first period gone, and a second through Ferrara on the doorstep of Fone’s goal, extending the lead three minutes later from a Wehebe Darge pass, the game was all but over as a contest.

Stepanek and Pliskauskas made it 4-0 at the first period break, Stepanek’s powerplay strike a shot from the blue line following a pass from Scott Robson, whilst Pliskauskas raced through neutral ice and despite a forlorn challenge from former Phantom Greg Pick, Pliskauskas undressed Fone with a shimmy to put the cap on a fine first period.

At the start of the second frame Hand replaced Fone with Denis Bell, a young netminder signed from the Telford Tigers, and we saw a more competitive period, in which Bell excelled despite the pressure placed on his net.  O’Flaherty had a couple of chances at reducing the arrears, but it would be the Phantoms who would extend their lead as Stepanek and Susters scored either side of a Robin Kovar strike to make the score 6-1 through forty minutes.

The game was all but over going into the last period, and whilst the Phoenix kept going, the impact of a short bench was always going to lead to tired legs against a Phantoms’ side who were virtually at full strength and rolling four lines throughout the game.

Padelek got his goal two minutes into the last period, Darius Pliskauskas bagged his second of the evening (and in truth should’ve scored a hat-trick) and the final goal of the evening came from two former Phoenix players, as James Archer tipped a Ben Russell shot from the point to give us a final score of 9-1.

Takeaways 

1. There were a number of solid performances from the Phantoms, though it is difficult to gauge the quality of their play when the margin of victory is so great. Congratulations to Will Weldon for scoring the opener and collecting the Man of the Match beers, and to James Ferrara for the game winning goal.

2. The Phantoms continue their winning streaks against the Bees (20 games) and the Phoenix (14).

3. The Phantoms gave up no penalty minutes at all this evening, which is quite remarkable in itself. We are watching a Phantoms’ team who are currently eighth in the league in terms of penalty minutes given up, with only Manchester and Telford taking fewer, but to take no penalties at all is some feat.

4. Darius Pliskauskas is now 15+14 in the last 17 games, at 1.7 points per game. Pliskauskas is now eighth in the league in terms of point scoring, and only Themar (Hull), Bosas (Sheffield) and Bakrlik (MK) have scored more goals at this point of the season.  I know Darius will say that it is team point and team goals that are the most important thing, but from a fan’s perspective, long may it continue

As for the Phoenix?

Though the Phoenix kept on going, the fact that they play week in, week out with a short bench makes it difficult for them to get a foothold in games like this.

On too many occasions the Phantoms’ forwards were given too much time to control the puck (notably on the blue line following a stretch pass, more often than not from Auzins), and were given the freedom of Peterborough in front of goal.  In amongst the Phantoms’ goals there were one or two nice finishes – notably from Weldon and Pliskauskas, but in the build up to these goals, and others, the Phantoms weren’t closed down quickly enough.

The young netminder Bell, Ben Wood and Eddie Bebris all put in solid performances alongside Captain Luke Boothroyd, who took the Man of the Match accolade, but Tony Hand will have expected more from his experienced players and imports who only showed glimpses of what they can do.

I was grateful to Jim ‘Tambo’ Piper for doing the co-commentary on line with the team this evening, giving a Phoenix view, and in response to my suggestion that the Phoenix’ short bench gives them problems with tiredness over a two game weekend Jim remarked that Tony Hand needs his best players to be his best players, and we saw too little of that this evening.

All the best to Tambo in the coming weeks.

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at   ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram its_phil_smith and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

Season 2016-17 Week 11: Hull Pirates

Peterborough Phantoms 2 Hull Pirates 0

MoM: A thirsty Janis Auzins

After defeats to Guildford and Telford respectively, the Phantoms and Pirates met knowing that the loser of this game would have a blank weekend for the first time this season.

Whilst the Pirates were at full strength, the Phantoms were missing the experience of Marc Levers and James Archer; Owen Griffiths was rewarded for an excellent run of form by being designated the second alternate captain for the evening.

Through forty minutes the game saw the Pirates shade the shots on goal (22 to 18) but as I’ve noted so many times that statistic doesn’t necessarily tell the full story.  The Phantoms started both of the first two periods well, but the Pirates eased themselves into the game and exerted pressure on Janis Auzins’ goal.

The sides trades penalties through the first two periods, with Norton sitting twice for the Phantoms, along with Susters and James Ferrara, whilst Salem, Watt and Gent (and a bench penalty) took the gate for the Pirates.  Neither side could find a way through, despite the opportunities created on the powerplay, and while tempers started to simmer at the end of the first period things stopped short of boiling over despite some big hits from both sides and Phantoms’ fans becoming increasingly concerned that Janis Auzins wasn’t getting the protection he needed from either the officials or his defence.

While the Phantoms had gone into the final period in Guildford on Saturday level, only to lose to two third period goals, they would dish out the same the same punishment to the Pirates to take the points.

The first goal was always going to be crucial, and it came from the most unexpected of sources, as Robbie Ferrara fired past a resilient Jordan Marr from the blue line with just ten minutes remaining, with the goal being celebrated as wildly as any scored at home this year in recognition of one of the most popular Phantoms, and as the Phantoms smelt blood Darius Pliskauskas rifled home a short-handed marker (as Sam Towner sat out a boarding call).

In between the two goals the league’s top scorer Andrej Themar was dismissed from the game for a check to the head on Martins Susters.  Themar has set the league on fire this year and there wouldn’t be too many Phantoms’ fans who were sorry to see him leave the game with nine minutes remaining.

Late on (on 57 45) Towner took another penalty, this time for delay of game, which was contested once more, though I thought it was the right call; the Phantoms had struggled to get possession of the puck at that point and Towner appeared to tie the puck up by smothering it on the ice.

The Pirates eventually pulled Marr and attempted a last ditch powerplay version of an NFL hail-mary pass, but when the Hull captain Salem took a final penalty with just 16 seconds remaining it was clear that it wouldn’t be Hull’s night.

Takeaways

1. This was another great team performance backstopped by a terrific display by Janis Auzins who made a series of standout saves to secure the shut out. On more than a couple of occasions the crowd scene around Auzins had Phantoms’ hearts in mouths, and but for a diving stop, desperate stick or skate, the Pirates might’ve breached the Phantoms’ rear-guard.  Janis is often the easy pick when it comes to the Man of the Match award, but it was well deserved after this game.  Sometimes we forget just how good our net minder is!

2. Congratulations to the lads across the board for maintaining discipline in a game that got niggly fairly early. It was a close run thing, with both sides conceding too many penalties for either coach to be happy, and when Towner was called with 2 15 to go a comeback from the Pirates wasn’t beyond the question, but the Phantoms managed to secure the win by laying their bodies on the line.  Great stuff to watch!

3. The Phantoms were put under a great deal of pressure at times in the first two periods, and were just about holding on at times. The Hull powerplay put considerable demands on the Phantoms’ D, keeping them penned in for 40 or 50 seconds at a time, and so when the chances came it was crucial to hit the back of the net.  Well done Rob Ferrara for the game winning goal which found a way through traffic.

4. Darius Pliskauskas has scored at least one point in each of the last fifteen games, with a total of 12+13 for 1.6 points per game in that time period.  Sign up here to give the veteran import some love – he deserves it.

As for the Pirates?

Themar, Hewitt, Chilcott, Lascek and Bonner all impressed.  Jaraslav Sasok was another who put in a good performance, showing good stick handling and a real offensive threat from a D man.

Pirates’ captain Nathan Salem seemed to be fired up from the off in a game that almost boiled over, but which didn’t, and Jordan Marr was a worthy winner of the Man of the Match beers; it’s rare to see a nettie have a 93.3% save percentage and still lose, but on a night where the Pirates did little wrong it was always going to be a game of fine margins, with victory between these two teams going with home advantage once more.

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at   ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram its_phil_smith and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

Season 2016-17 Week 9: Swindon Wildcats

Peterborough Phantoms 4 Swindon Wildcats 2

3 in 2 for James Archer

Whilst the Phantoms’ form before the last meeting with Swindon on 16^th October had seen plenty of points secured at home, with only a shoot-out defeat to Sheffield and a 5-2 reverse at the hands of Milton Keynes taking points away from Peterborough, their away form had seen scant return.

Following this comprehensive victory against the short-benched Wildcats the picture looks far healthier for the Phantoms; in the twenty days since the last meeting between these two sides the Phantoms have put together a fine run of form, with the two victories against Aaron Nell’s men bookending a period that has seen just one defeat in six games.

This Bonfire Night win saw the Phantoms start well, taking control of the early stages of the game and scoring the evenings’ first goal through Darius Pliskauskas after 1 46.  Pressure on Lyle’s goal followed, with the home side having plenty of chances but not able to get clear daylight between themselves and their visitors, largely due to stout defending from the likes of Selby, Liddiard and Smith, the work of veteran netminder Lyle, and some good fortune as the puck stuck in the blue paint after a blocked shot crawled towards the net.

As is so often the case, the Phantoms paid the price for not extending their lead as Birbraer levelled things up at 9 59, skating hard to the back post and finishing a one timer to the left of Auzins’ outstretched left pad just inside the post from an exquisite pass from Swindon’s Man of the Match Jonas Hoog.

If the Phantoms felt they deserved more at the end of the first period, with 6 30 gone of the second period they would have felt that the game was slipping away, as the industrious Jordan Kelsall gave Swindon a lead that that had seemed unlikely given the way that the Phantoms had dominated the shots on goal.

The Wildcats scored six minutes into the second period, and six minutes from the end James Archer levelled the scores with a powerplay goal as Stephen Whitfield sat for interference.  Ales Padelek gave the puck to Petr Stepanek who skilfully found Archer at Lyle’s near post, and the Peterborough man swept home for his third goal in two games.

Though the Phantoms had dominated possession and chances in the first two periods they had been unable to take a commanding lead through forty minutes, but the final stanza saw the Phantoms dominate the period and score twice, through two highlight real goals.

With just 1 59 gone in the period the Phantoms worked the puck round the Wildcats’ zone, Weldon feeding Stepanek, who in turn laid the puck into the path of Tom Norton in acres of space in the high slot.  Norton fired a boomer from the blue line past Lyle to cap off an excellent performance in what has been a land mark week for the D man who represented GB in Nottingham this week.

Five minutes later Norton and Stepanek were involved again, this time Ales Padelek being the beneficiary.  The Czech forward raced into the zone and sent a tracer past Lyle from the hash marks to conclude the scoring.

Five Takeaways

1. A few weeks ago supporters were disgruntled with the performance of the forwards. In recent weeks we have seen terrific performances across the import lines, with Padelek (1+1) and Pliskauskas scoring in this game, and Stepanek catching three assists.  Stepanek has at least a point in each of his last four games, in which he has scored 5+4.

2. Though this wasn’t the perfect game from a defensive point of view, it was an impressive display and certainly demonstrated the benefit of marshalling a significant offensive threat from front to back. There were excellent individual defensive performance – notably from Rob Ferrara, Tom Norton and Ben Russell, but it was interesting to note that when Swindon broke the Phantoms tended to have greater defensive cover in the neutral zone than had been the case earlier in the season.

3. Wahebe Darge. Phanforce player of the month for October and a tireless performer in this game, with a display that warranted at least a goal.

4. Momentum is key, both in a single game and over a stretch of games. This team plays so well when its tail is up and though they have shown us how resolute they are when trying to get back into a game it is essential that they kill teams off when they are ahead.  This game could’ve slipped away from the Phantoms in the second periods as the Wildcats came from behind to take a lead.

5. The Phantoms need to ensure that they go into Blackpool on Sunday with the right mindset. Though the Phoenix lost in Bracknell on Saturday they will be a challenge for the Phantoms, with two old boys, Pick and Bebris keen to make an impact.  The Phantoms can still make the cup semi-finals and this game is crucial as it is the first time we have met Tony Hand’s side this year.

As for Swindon?

Despite missing Malasinski and Nell there was still a significant threat, with Hoog, Kelsall and Birbraer impressing the most.  After scoring the second goal the Wildcats struggled to stay out of the penalty box, and couldn’t make their mid period advantage stick for long enough.  Nevertheless, as I’ve commented several times before, I have no doubt that the Phantoms and the Wildcats will be vying for the same positions in the league come the end of the season.

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at   ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram its_phil_smith and follow for regular Phantoms updates.