Phoenix had a rare Saturday home game against the reigning EPL play-off winners the Guildford Flames who were starting to click in the league after a slow start. In contrast to Guildford, Phoenix were coming off the back of 2 home defeats and some "fans" were starting to get disgruntled at the way certain players were performing and how the team in general were playing. Phoenix were still without Wallace (wrist) and Hand (ankle). Added to this, Josh Ward was away on international duty with the GB Under 20 team. This was always going to be a tough game but without these players it would be even tougher. 3 players from the Trafford Metros were called up to the Phoenix team to replace the missing bodies; Jake Nurse, Andy Dunn and Jamie Rogerson. However, Coach Hand rarely seems to place much faith in the younger Brits so it remained to be seen how much ice time the trio would see.
This was a big game for me personally as it was a few days after my birthday. By coincidence, last year Phoenix played Guildford on a Saturday around the same time last year with Phoenix scoring 2 late goals to win 4-3 and me dancing up and down the aisles celebrating!
First Period
Despite the missing players, the makeshift Phoenix team started the first period brighter. Duggan and Faith rotated shifts at centre and despite the mixed lines Phoenix were finding good chemistry. Both Archer and Cingel created good scoring chances early on but both were denied by good saves from Lee. It was therefore a little against the run of the play when Guildford opened the scoring. Guildford won a face-off from the right circle which found its way to Kvetan who sent a high wrist shot past Fone's glove and into the net at 10:09. At 10:18 Liddiard earned 2 minutes in the box for tripping but Phoenix could not convert of the powerplay. Then at 13:42 Rempel doubled Guildford's lead. Longstaff sent a long pass from his own zone that split Harabin and Neil and Rempel deked his way around Fone to put the Flames 2-0 up. Phoenix halved the deficit at 17:23 when Duggn collected a pass from Spelda, faked a shot to go past a defender and slipped a shot through Lee's 5-hole and into the net. At 18:24 Boothroyd was sent to the box for a roughing call but Phoenix held out to the end of the period.
Phoenix were playing much better than previous weeks and perhaps deserved to be level at the end of the period. Unfortunately Guildford had made the most of their opportunities and went in to the break ahead and with 24 seconds of a powerplay remaining to open the second period.
Goals - Flames 10:09 - Kvetan, Assist - Melicherik, Flames 13:42 - Rempel, Assist - Longstaff, Phoenix 17:23 - Duggan, Assist - Spelda
Second Period
Phoenix made the worst possible start to the period by conceding a powerplay goal after just 23 seconds. Former Phoenix player Curtis Huppe collected the puck in his own zone, skated down the left wing around the outside of Neil, drove at the net and slid the puck past Fone. Shortly after, the Flames made the score 4-1 with another the gift of a goal at 22:53. Faith mis-controlled a pass on the blue line creating a turnover. Huppe had a shot blocked but the puck squirted back to Melicherik who squared the puck to his left for Plant to put the puck into and unguarded net. Phoenix refused to give up however and pulled a goal back at 32:40. Phoenix were on the powerplay after Liddiard was sent to the penalty box. Before the announcer could let us all know that there was a penalty, Harabin found Cingel streaking through the middle between 2 Guildford defenders and he wristed the puck past Lee's blocker on the left side just inside the post.
Phoenix went in at the end of the second period ruing the defensive lapses that had given the Flames easy goals. However, they were playing with more grit and determination than in recent home games and the game was far from over.
Goals - Flames 20:23 - Huppe (unassisted), Flames 22:53 - Rempel, Assists - Melicherik, Huppe, Phoenix 32:40 - Cingel, Assists - Harabin, Faith
Third Period
Phoenix started the third period on a mission and scored shortly after the start of the period. Duggan skated into the Guildford zone and unleashed a big slap shot from just inside the blue line. Lee could not deal with the shot and Long who was crashing the net swept in the rebound at 40:47. At this point the atmosphere in the Dome was rocking and Guildford looked visibly shaken. Phoenix had all the momentum and sent wave after wave of attacks on the Guildford goal. It seemed almost inevitable that the Flames would crack and both Spelda and Faith went close to tieing the game. Lee looked shaky in the Guildford goal but scrambled defence managed to clear the puck each time Phoenix went close. With time slipping by Phoenix pulled Fone from his goal to be replaced by an extra attacker to force the puck home. Unfortunately with less that 30 seconds to go the puck dropped to the stick of Lundin deep in his own zone with little pressure and he sent the puck the length of the ice for an empty net goal at 59:40 to seal a 5-3 win for the Flames.
At the end of the game, although Phoenix had lost the game, the fans were much less downbeat than after recent home games. Phoenix were weakened by the absent players but the players on the ice had given a spirited performance against a very strong Guildford team and probably deserved to at least send the game into overtime. That said, Guildford defended doggedly in the third period and were clinical in their finishing and perhaps showed that they will be the team to beat this season. The fans played their part, singing from start to finish and the players seemed to feed off that energy, particularly in the third period.
Goals - Phoenix 40:47 - Long, Assists - Duggan, Cingel, Flames 59:40 - Lundin (unassisted)
Final Score - Phoenix - 3 - Guildford - 5
MOM - Phoenix - Duggan, Flames - Huppe
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