GUILDFORD FLAMES 2 TRADE-MART DUNDEE STARS 4

The Trade-Mart Dundee Stars claimed their first victory of 2024 with a 4-2 road win over Guildford Flames and also extended their point streak to four-matches.

By Kris Smith

The Stars were missing two players from their squad as blueliners, Chris McKay (suspension) and Kris Inglis (injury) both sat out, but that meant forward, Jake Elmer came back into the gameday line-up and Josh Brittain dropped back to fill in on defence.

The opening period would be marred with penalties, the first of the night coming just less than five minutes in, when both Brett Ferguson and Dundee’s Sean Allen would be boxed for roughing after the pair came together along the benches and began grappling.

Guildford would then soon have a two-man advantage for over a minute as more penalties came, with Brittain and Allen both taking minor penalties and that put the home side on a five-on-three powerplay but they failed to make it count.

Stars captain, Drydn Dow then made a crucial play in his own end to break up a Flames chance as Ryan Hughes slipped through on goal, before moments later, opening the scoring at the other end.

After two Guildford players collided in the Dundee end, the Taysiders took the puck and broke down the ice, where Anthony Rinaldi set Dow up for an easy tap in at the back post on 13 minutes.

Stars netminder, Kevin Carr had produced a number of key saves at crucial times and that kept his side in front going into the first break, however in the second period, the Surrey outfit finally found a way past the Canadian keeper.

Just two minutes into the middle stanza, the Flames rushed forward from their own end with Hughes carrying the puck into the offensive zone and he picked out Patrick Bajkov on the far side and set him up for the equaliser.

Although, the score would only be level for 60 seconds as Dundee responded instantly with Ryan Valentini scoring his 31st point of the year and the Stars 100th goal of the season.

Dundee defender, Kyle Pouncy gave the puck off to Valentini and he drove towards the middle of the ice before releasing a high shot straight over the shoulder of Eamon McAdam, restoring the Scots lead.

The play would then go back and forth, from end to end as both teams battled for the all-important next goal which could swing momentum in their favour and the decisive goal would come inside the final minute of the second period.

Amidst a goalmouth scramble, Flames defender, Mike Crocock took what proved to be a costly penalty for delay of game as he illegally covered up the puck with his glove during the stramash and that put Paul Dixon’s men on the penalty kill.

The Stars had worked it round well and created some big chances with their man advantage before Rinaldi pulled off another cross-goal pass, this time setting up Tommy Parrottino for a one-timer to make it 3-1 to Dundee.

Marc LeFebvre’s men were sitting on their two-goal lead going into the third period but would see their comfort taken away as the home side got one back on 42 minutes with a powerplay goal.

Ben O’Connor fired a hard shot through bodies in front of the Dundee net and the puck would come out on the opposite side and drop into the path of Ryan Tait, for him to tap home.

The two teams then became deadlocked again with each team desperately trying to avoid making any costly mistakes that could ruin their chances and it came down to the final 90 seconds when Guildford took McAdam out of the net for an extra attacker, which allowed SpencerNaas to seal the victory with a shot into the empty cage, one minute from full-time

The Stars finally got the win they have been searching for after back-to-back losses in overtime and a shootout, which now they will hope to build on as they welcome Glasgow Clan back to Tayside next Saturday, before facing the current Elite League leaders, Sheffield Steelers in Yorkshire on Sunday.