REPORT: Guildford Flames 6 Glasgow Clan 3
Report by Sam Scouller; photos by John Uwins
Aspray Glasgow West sponsored Glasgow Clan’s play-off hopes will be decided on the final day of the regular season after suffering a 6-3 road loss at Guildford Flames.
It sets up a nervy final home game with Cardiff Devils on Sunday, with Clan needing a victory to have a chance of staying involved in the post-season contest.
They had to contend with the first real chance as Ryan Tait ripped a shot from the blue line and struck the underside of the bar before bouncing out of the crease.
Gary Haden ignited some offensive hope for the Clan going the opposite way when he snapped a first time shot from just outside of the crease, but it was swatted clear by Flames goalie Taz Burman.
Matt Barry and Dyson Stevenson also generated some promising chances for Glasgow in the opening period but neither could give the visitors the lead.
The Flames snatched a late go-ahead goal to take a lead into the first interval when Ryan Hughes burst into the Clan zone up the right side and slid the puck past Clan’s netminder Antti Karjalainen.
Tait almost doubled Guildford’s advantage straight after as he found himself on a breakaway off the back of the centre ice faceoff, but he was held off by a resilient Haden.
In the second period, the game took a feisty turn when Jordan Klimek burst out of the penalty box after serving two minutes to join a Flames attacking move and charged into Karjalainen.
The Guildford man was sent straight back into the box by the officials who granted the Clan a powerplay opportunity which they pounced on as Luke Lynch tied the game up with a redirected shot.
Jake Bolton followed up shortly after to flip the scoreline on its head and give Glasgow the lead as he lashed the puck from the blue line straight into the roof of Burman’s net.
Guildford managed two late goals in the second period though as Hughes equalised with two minutes left before Bradley Lalonde gave the Flames the lead with just three seconds to go.
Matt Alvaro then doubled the hosts’ lead in the third period with a one-time shot past Karjalainen before Lalonde bagged his second goal of the night to claim a fifth Flames goal.
Phillipe Sanche scored a third for the Clan before the final buzzer, but it was only a consolation as Tait sealed the two points for Guildford with a late empty net goal.
