Peterborough Phantoms' hopes of top spot shattered by a crushing defeat at the hands of league leaders

The city side were crushed 9-3 on home ice by the team they face in a two-legged League Cup Final later this month.

The heavy home defeat followed a 2-1 loss at Swindon Wildcats on Saturday. Phantoms are now 12 points off top spot and eight points behind second-placed MK Lightning so facing the prospect of using the final regular season matches as a build-up to the play-offs.

Leeds tore into Slava Koulikov’s side from the off and established a 5-0 lead after one period. The tone was set for a rough affair as Tom Norton and a visiting skater took five minute penalties for fighting in the opening moments, but Leeds dominated the action that mattered.

Duncan Speirs and Will Weldon set up Glenn Billing for the opening Phantoms goal in the 30th minute, but it was 8-2 by the end of the second frame with Martins Susters scoring for the city side.

The third period was shared with Phantoms at least having the last word with an Ales Padelek strike.

Padelek had opened the scoring on his birthday in a much tighter contest at Swindon, but the hosts were level by the end of the first period and won the game with a 45th-minute goal.

Phantoms are at MK for a National League game on Saturday (7pm face-off) before hosting Bristol on Sunday (5.30pm) – their last matches before the first leg of the cup semi-final on Friday, March 17.