The traditional Boxing Day spectacular at the Shelter this year saw the Storm face the Guildford Flames, with the hosts producing a tremendous 3–2 comeback victory.

The visiting Flames showed no signs of Christmas cheer as they opened the scoring on the very first shift of the game. A well-worked attacking manoeuvre was rounded off by Jacome, who tapped home from just outside the blue paint with only 30 seconds played. The visitors’ lead was soon doubled when Weninger made a good initial stop on Busch in the third minute, but the puck remained loose for Nixon to turn home from in close. Head Coach Critchlow responded quickly by calling a timeout to gather his charges and stall the momentum built by a hungry-looking Guildford outfit. This subtle play from the bench proved hugely impactful for the remainder of the game, as the hosts adjusted their typically aggressive forecheck to clog up the centre ice and regain control of the encounter.

The second period saw the script completely flipped, with Manchester pulling a goal back early through Clavelle, who was quickest to react to a broken play and deftly finished from a very tight angle in the 24th minute. A power-play opportunity for the Flames that followed the Storm’s first marker underlined the shift in momentum, with Dudek and Johnson both fashioning excellent scoring chances while killing the penalty. Manchester then really poured on the pressure, adding two goals in just 16 seconds. The game-tying second came courtesy of a fine individual effort by utility man Ulett, who showcased excellent skating to burst down the wing and fire a wrist shot into the top corner of Fazio’s net. The Storm then took their first lead of the game through Nardi, who expertly used a screen to rifle his effort beyond the Flames netminder.

The hosts thought they had added a fourth unanswered goal through Gilmour following an excellent low-to-high pass from Cutler in the 48th minute. However, after video review, the goal was chalked off for goaltender interference, with Johnson perhaps a little overzealous in his attempt to screen the rather vocal and easily irritated Fazio between the Flames’ pipes. Manchester then found themselves in penalty trouble at the business end of the match, with minor penalties assessed to Dudek and Ulett, handing Guildford a crucial 5-on-3 power play in their bid to level the game. Yet a resolute effort from the Storm’s penalty-killing unit, combined with several excellent stops from Weninger, ensured the two points would remain in the North on this occasion.

Words by: Callum Schora