Dundee Stars claimed a remarkable 5-4 shootout victory over Manchester Storm on Saturday night, completing an extraordinary comeback after trailing by two goals entering the final period. Three perfect shootout conversions from Kielly, Nieminen and Dow — against none for the visitors — gave the Stars a win that will lift the Dundee Ice Arena crowd of 1,715 and erase some of the misery of two heavy defeats earlier in the week.
Manchester Storm had led 3-1 heading into the third and appeared in control. What followed was a third period that had everything: two Dundee goals, two Manchester power plays, a late pull of the goalkeeper, a penalty that immediately handed Dundee a lifeline, and a shootout where Emil Kruse was flawless and Evan Weninger couldn't stop a single attempt.
Storm lead comfortably after two periods
J.D. Dudek opened the scoring for Manchester at 7:46 — Harrison Caines assisting — before Spencer Naas levelled for Dundee at 10:45 from Kameron Kielly's pass. Brady Gilmour then put Storm back ahead at 15:33 with Cutler helping, and a bench minor for too many men on the ice at 2:41 didn't hurt Dundee in the end as the first period closed at 2-1 to Manchester.
The second period extended the lead. Dudek's second of the night at 27:12 — Joseph Nardi assisting — made it 1-3 to the visitors. Dundee hit back through Otto Nieminen at 31:58 from Drydn Dow's assist to reduce the deficit to 2-3, but Brandon Cutler's holding penalty at 36:19 gave Manchester a power play opportunity they didn't convert. Going into the final twenty minutes, Storm led 3-2 and seemed in reasonable shape.
The third period will be talked about in Dundee for some time.
Benjamin Almquist levelled at 3-3 just 22 seconds in — Dow assisting again, his second helper of the game — and within moments it got more dramatic. Bradley Schoonbaert was penalised for high sticking at 55:30, handing Manchester a power play. Kaleb Ergang converted at 56:16 from Dennis Busby's assist to restore Storm's lead at 3-4. Dundee were behind again with four minutes left.
Then came the defining sequence. Dundee pulled their goaltender at 58:23, pushing desperately for a leveller. Cutler was penalised for interference at 57:14 — note the times here suggest the penalty came before the pull in the data, but what matters is what happened next: Justin Bean scored on the power play at 59:05 from Keanu Yamamoto's assist to make it 4-4. At the same moment, Emil Kruse came on as incoming goalkeeper. Regulation ended level.
Overtime came and went without a winner. Then Dundee made the shootout look effortless.
Kielly scored first. Ergang — Manchester's regulation hero minutes earlier — missed. Nieminen converted. Cutler missed. Dow scored to make it 3-0 for Dundee in the sequence. Dudek, who had scored twice in regulation, missed to end it. Three scored, zero conceded: Dundee take the extra point.
For Kruse, who came on during that frantic goalmouth spell at 59:05 and then faced the shootout, it was a composed and match-winning performance in the most pressured of circumstances. Weninger had been solid for most of the night for Manchester but the shootout was entirely Kruse's.
The bigger picture — a vital win for Dundee
After losses of 5-1 to both Nottingham and Manchester earlier this week, this result is significant. Four defeats in five coming in, the Stars badly needed something to build on — and a dramatic home shootout win, coming from behind in the third, is as good a result as they could have hoped for.
For Manchester, it is a night to forget quickly. They led by two entering the third, had power plays at key moments, and still ended up on the wrong side of it. Dudek's brace and Gilmour's goal deserved better, and the shootout record of 0-from-3 will frustrate. But they pick up a point, and their earlier 5-1 win over Dundee across the weekend means Saturday still ends with something to show for it.