TRADE-MART DUNDEE STARS 3 GLASGOW CLAN 4 (SO)
The Trade-Mart Dundee Stars were locked in the heat of battle with their Scottish rivals, Glasgow Clan in their first game of 2024 but would take just one-point after losing out in a shootout.
By Kris Smith
The Stars were only one player shy of a fully healthy roster as defender, Kris Inglis continues his recovery from injury but they named an unchanged line-up to face the Clan, with Tommy Parrottino remaining a healthy scratch.
Through the opening minutes of the first period, the Clan spent most of the time in Dundee’s end trying to get pucks on net but the Stars did well to limit the number of shots getting through to Kevin Carr in net.
The Stars then went on the first powerplay of the night as Glasgow’s Ryan Harrison tripped up Elijah Vilio, however it would be the visitors who came close to scoring as Gary Haden broke through on goal whilst shorthanded and would be brought down by Vilio as he tried to strip him of the puck.
The Clan were awarded a penalty shot but despite coming in at pace, Haden could not be Carr with his low effort.
In the 10th minute, the scoring then began as after denying a number of shots, Carr would be beaten by Haden’s shot from behind the net as he banked it in off the Canadian keeper’s back.
Jason Morgan’s side then doubled their lead three minutes later as ex-Star, Charlie Combs poked home a loose puck in the crease to convert on the powerplay as Craig Garrigan served two minutes for holding.
Dundee then finally began to put pressure on their rivals from the West Coast and would soon get one goal back thanks to a big play from defender, Chris McKay.
After laying a big hit along the wall on Combs, he circled back into the play and crashed towards the net before touching the puck past Antti Karjalainen at his far post, inside 16 minutes.
The first period ended with the Tayside team on the penalty kill as Sean Allen was boxed for interference in the final seconds but they killed well and kept it at 2-1.
The Stars then tied it just moments later as they countered quickly with a three-on-two and Spencer Naas would see his first two attempts saved before the rebound spilled out wide for Ryan Valentini to lift home.
Marc LeFebvre’s powerplay unit then got another opportunity to get up and running but were denied by some strong goaltending from Karjalainen and he produced a fine save to deny Anthony Rinaldi, sliding post-to-post to keep the puck out.
The turning point of the match then came in the 37th minute as Combs collided with the Dundee keeper, sparking a furious response from the Stars players and after no call came against the ex-player, captain Drydn Dow took the law into his own hands.
Combs had taken plenty of abuse at the face-off from his opponents but when the play went behind the net, Dow knocked Combs to the ice and the American responded by dropping his gloves and beginning to fight Dow.
After a short tussle, Dow soon got his gloves off to and the pair began exchanging blows and after a while the referees stepped into break it up, but Combs would receive extra punishment as he took a minor penalty for illegal equipment after he failed to secure his fight strap and his jersey covered his head during the fight.
The Stars then scored off the ensuing powerplay, just 12 seconds into it and that gave them the one-goal advantage as Valentini played the puck into the crease for Brendan Harms to jam past the Finnish goalie.
The third period began with both teams having opportunities on the man advantage but when Dundee were punished with a four-minute penalty kill for Craig Moore’s high stick, Combs continued to be the villain and scored his second of the night.
Nearly three minutes into their powerplay, a tiring Stars defence was made to pay when Combs had time and space between the circles and stuck the puck into the top corner.
The game then became scrappy as both rivals competed for the next goal and the edge in the heated match.
It all came down to the final minutes but no winner could be found and nothing could separate the teams after five minutes of three-on-three overtime, so a penalty shootout would decide it.
Entering their second straight shootout, the Stars went with the same three shooters that scored all of their goals in the 3-0 defeat of Belfast Giants, with Carter Johnson going first and being denied, whilst Spencer Naas and Ryan Valentini would score to level it up at 2-2 after three rounds.
Combs and Darien Craighead had netted for Glasgow whilst Jordan Cownie, Haden and Matt Barry would then be stopped by Carr, sending it to sudden death.
Combs and Valentini would shoot again and both scored before Craighead also beat Carr for a second time and Valentini went out for a third time but would be denied by the goalpost.
The Stars take a point but fall below the Clan in the standings but the two meet again in 10 days, but up first for Dundee is visit from Coventry Blaze before a trip to Guildford Flames, this weekend.
Man of the Match
Dundee: #37 Kevin Carr
Glasgow: #46 Antti Karjalainen
Goals
1st:
0-1 Gary Haden (Charlie Combs, Alex Roach) 10:43
0-2 Charlie Combs (Gary Haden, Darien Craighead) 13:41 PPG
1-2 Chris McKay (Josh Brittain, James Phelan) 15:12
2nd:
2-2 Ryan Valentini (Spencer Naas, Brendan Harms) 26:36
3-2 Brendan Harms (Spencer Naas, Elijah Vilio) 36:45 PPG
3rd:
3-3 Charlie Combs (Luke Lynch) 51:19 PPG
OT:
SO:
3-4 Darien Craighead (Unassisted) 65:00 PS
Shootout
Round 1
Dundee: #18 Carter Johnson – Saved
Glasgow: #9 Charlie Combs – Goal
Round 2
Dundee: #8 Spencer Naas – Goal
Glasgow: #77 Darien Craighead – Goal
Round 3
Dundee: #9 Ryan Valentini – Goal
Glasgow: #14 Jordan Cownie – Saved
Round 4
Dundee: #6 Drydn Dow – Miss
Glasgow: #23 Gary Haden – Miss
Round 5
Dundee: #81 Brendan Harms – Saved
Glasgow: #88 Matt Barry – Saved
Round 6
Glasgow: #9 Charlie Combs – Goal
Dundee: #9 Ryan Valentini – Goal
Round 7
Glasgow: #77 Darien Craighead – Goal
Dundee: #9 Ryan Valentini – Miss
All images: Derek Black.
