Flames lost the handle on a 2 goal 3rd period lead, giving up 4 straight, including a couple of crucial powerplay markers then an empty netter to ultimately fall 6-4 at Nottingham Panthers.
A little over 2 minutes in Ryan Tait nudged Flames in front but Tim Doherty in the 14th minute made sure the clubs were even on a goal each through the opening frame.
Early in the 2nd, Matt Alvaro had Flames in the lead again. About a minute into the back half of the set, and just as Flames were returning to full strength after killing a penalty, Panthers squared it through Otto Nieminen, but a Sam Jones reply only 22 seconds after that re-stored the visitors advantage; this time at 3-2 and they carried their slim margin into the 3rd.
Another early period Alvaro goal, his 2nd of the contest doubled the Flames lead, but the evening went sideways from there. A little under 6 minutes from time, skating 6 on 5 during a delayed penalty, Panthers reduced the difference to a single thanks to Kristoff Kontos. About 5 minutes out, a Flames penalty set them a man short and Panthers wasted only a few seconds pulling fully even off the stick of Sam Herr. Flames again found themselves short a man a couple minutes later and again seconds after that Herr buried the winner then 41 seconds from close Mitch Fossier put it in the empty cage to ice the result.
Eamon McAdam made 34 stops on 39 shots in the Flames net against Ryan Bednard who steered aside 18 of 22.
“They went at us full throttle in the back end of the period and we have enough experience and poise to be able to handle it better than we did,” said Paul Dixon. “There is no way to get by the fact that that we did a lot of good things to put ourselves in a very good position, but we let it get away. We expect more of ourselves in situations where we have a chance to close out a win.”
“We did have late penalties against us which makes it a bit more challenging, but from the moment they drew within a goal, and before we went down any manpower, we didn’t respond. You know with nothing to lose they are going to come at you, and you have to find ways to do something that turns the tide back. Whether that is kill one of the penalties, or a lot of possession or a stretch of heavy forecheck to keep them pinned in their end, every guy has to have a hand in finding a way to disrupt their momentum and make sure they don’t sit in our zone, and have the opportuuties they had to steal back the win.”
“We will have to take the good lessons that come from this and quickly try to put that into our game from tomorrow night when Coventry stops in at Spectrum.”
