Old boys came back to haunt Peterborough Phantoms in final game of the year

​Susters opened the scoring in the first minute for league leaders MK Lightning and finished the game by scoring twice in a nail-biting penalty shootout, including what was effectively the winning shot.

Phantoms had fought back from that early setback to lead 3-1 before the visitors responded to level at 3-3 with six-and-a-half minutes to go. There was no further scoring before the final period ended or in five tension-filled minutes of overtime.

Sunday’s defeat followed a 5-2 loss at MK the night before. It’s now four defeats in a row for Slava Koulikov’s men who slipped into the bottom half of the table ahead of games against next-to-bottom Bristol Pitbulls away on Saturday and at home on Sunday (5.30pm face-off).

Susters took advantage of a Phantoms error to open the scoring after 50 seconds.

But the city skaters were back on level terms inside five minutes when Tom Norton’s shot was deflected home during a home powerplay. Cam Hough and Janne Laakkonen were credited with assists.

Phantoms managed to defy a 5-on-3 powerplay before taking the lead four minutes from the end of the first period.

It was a proud moment for Barni Sari who claimed his first goal for the club from close range after good work from Tom Palmer and Louie Kynaston.

Kynaston was awarded the Phantoms’ November Player of the Month award before face off and he continued his fine form by turning home a Scott Robson effort for 3-1 at 22.50.

Nathan Salem went close to making it 4-1 but the visitors pulled a goal back in the 28th minute courtesy of another former Phantom Corey McEwen who rifled the puck into the top corner.

The sides continued to trade chances as Jarvis Hunt went close for Phantoms, before Carter Hamill saw his shot well saved by home netminder Hayden Lavigne.

Janne Laakkonen looked to have been given a great chance to make it 4-2 after excellence from Tom Norton, but the angle proved too tight.

Lavigne then produced a ‘save of the season’ contender, but after Sari and Luke Ferrara went close at the other end, MK did level the scores when Sean Norris netted.

That was enough to take the game into overtime and then the penalty shootout.

Ferrara, Salem and Austin Mitchell-King scored for Phantoms, but a second strike for Susters meant Ferrara’s later miss sealed a win for the table-toppers.

Phantoms were level at 1-1 at the end of the first period in MK thanks to an equaliser from Cam Hough and a Jarvis Hunt strike made it 3-2 with 12 minutes to go before the hosts pulled away again to win comfortably.

There was a sell-out crowd at Planet Ice for the instant re-match the against fierce local rivals the following night.