NEWS CHANNELMK Lightining 2 Guildford Flames 4
Manchester Phoenix 5 MK Lightining 4
Too little too late was the message for MK Lightning as they suffered defeats at the hands of Guildford Flames and Manchester Phoenix.
A slow start cost Lightning two points in their match with the Flames, but they failed to learn their lesson and once again ran out of time to stage a full comeback as they were beaten by Phoenix.
Flames, visiting Planet Ice for the second time in as many weeks, made the ideal when Nathan Rempel slotted home two short-handed goals in 17 seconds.
Rempel then completed a hat-trick in the second period when he latched on to a pass from David Longstaff and beat goalie Barry Hollyhead one on one.
At 3-0 down coach Nick Poole reshuffled his team, moving Adam Carr into defence and Leigh Jamieson to the right wing, which paid off when Jamieson scored two goals within eight minutes in the final quarter.
However, any hopes of Lightning taking the game into overtime were ended when they withdrew netminder Hollyhead to add an extra skater to the line-up which allowed Guildford’s Matt Towe to ensure a 4-2 win for his side.
Lightning’s lethargic approach was punished the following day when Manchester Phoenix opened up a 5-0 lead with only 15 minutes remaining.
But Lightning shocked their hosts when they hit back with four goals in the space of ten minutes.
Blaz Emersic scored from a Gary Clarke pass at 46:37, then Monir Kalgoum scored his first since returning from injury.
Carr scored an unassisted goal and converted a penalty shot but with only four minutes to fond an equaliser Lightning ran out of time.
The 5-4 defeat leaves Lightning fifth in the English Ice Hockey Premier League.
LIGHTNING are at home to Telford Tigers on Saturday, face-off 7pm, and on Sunday they travel to Basingstoke Bison, face-off 5.30pm.
