Late goal sends Flames through to Playoff Finals

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Flames led for less than 3 minutes across the entire 2 leg playoff quarter final, including the leg 1 4-4 draw, but it was the only lead they would need, coming from behind in the 3rd period of leg 2 for a 3-2 win, 7-6 on aggregate, over Nottingham Panthers to book a spot in the playoff final 4 next weekend.

A tick over 5 minutes in Christophe Boivin had Panthers in a 1-0 lead, 5,4 on aggregate, but a Levi Cable reply shortly after that squared both the game and the combined score and they went to the break on an even split of 10 goals through 4 periods.

Flames were unable to convert on a couple of early 2nd period powerplays before Panthers took another lead when Jeremy Welsh netted at 28:20 and that left work to do for the visitors in the final stanza.

Flames pressured for a lot of the 3rd until finally pulling it back level with a Jamal Watson goal just inside the last 5 minutes then less than 3 from close, Cable recorded his 2nd of the evening for a 3-2 Flames lead that would hold up the rest of the way to bank the 7-6 aggregate win.

“What a pair of games!” exclaimed Paul Dixon. “Every guy just kept coming no matter what the situation, and 6 different times over the 2 games we were trailing, and until the end never even had a lead.”

“They just were not going to be denied and they finally got what they deserved with a couple of goals late to push us into the finals weekend.”

“It is a pretty exciting moment for all of them, and the club, and we will enjoy the feeling before setting up a training week ahead of coming back here next weekend for the big event.”