Leeds Knights urged to be 'better' after opening night play-off clash with Telford Tigers
LEEDS KNIGHTS may have got their NIHL National play-off campaign to a winning start - but head coach Ryan Aldridge was left demanding “better” from his players.
It was a nervy night at Elland Road Ice Arena in front of a 1,300-plus crowd, the Knights grabbing two valuable points in their opening Group B encounter with a 3-2 win - but visitors Telford Tigers made them work all the way down to the last minute.
The two are set for an immediate rematch in Shropshire on Sunday night.
Matt Bissonnette, Oli Endicott and Finn Bradon were the Knights’ goalscorers while Sam Gospel picked up his umpteenth MVP award for turning away 42 of the 44 shots that rained down on his goal.
“I don’t think we were at our best,” said Aldridge. “And Gossie had to be at his best for us to win that game. I don’t think we had the energy we’ve had for the last two weekends.
“It’s easy to play in games that don’t mean anything but you’ve got to show up for the games that are meaningful.
“These are the games that you play hockey for and as a group -collectively and individually - we’ve got to be better.
“As a group, we have got to be better, we gave up two sloppy goals tonight and gave up way too many sloppy chances for them.”
With a good start crucial for all teams in the play-off group format, it was perhaps no surprise that the deadlock wasn’t broken until after the halfway mark, good work by Owen Sobchak down the right and down low setting up Endicott for a shot that was parried by Brad Day straight to Bissonnette who had a simple tap-in to make it 1-0 at 32.54.
Only 70 more seconds had elapsed before the Knights doubled their lead, Danny Harrison feeding Endicott to drive the net with his shot being deflected in past the helpless Day.
But, not surprisingly, Telford got themselves back in the game before the end of the period, Deakan Fielder’s long-range effort eluding Gospel through traffic at 39.05.
Daragh Spawforth had a goal disallowed when adjudged to have kicked the puck over the line when reacting quickest to a rebound off his own initial shot, but it wasn’t long before the Knights restored the two-goal cushion, Sobchak again involved when he set up Bradon to fire home from close-range at 50.56 as a power play neared its end.
But there were plenty of home nerves in the final minutes after Patrick Brown fired home a rebound at 54.37 to make it a one-goal game again.
But the Knights held firm, playing sensibly to wind down the clock and secure two points that could prove invaluable when it comes to deciding who makes the Final Four Weekend in Coventry on April 18.