A goal-scoring ‘Winter Classic’ saw a rejuvenated Storm take a comprehensive 7-4 victory over the visiting Guildford Flames.

It was a perfect start for the visiting Flames, as goals from Strang and Curti in the opening six minutes shook the Storm supporters out of their festive mood. However, a tremendous response by the home bench turned the game on its head by the first intermission. A terrific finish from D’Aoust one on one with Kupsky in the 9th minute of play halved the deficit. An attacking-minded Ehrhardt squared the game, as the defenseman initially set up the powerplay before finishing well from the half boards. The Storm would take their first lead of the match through Hebert after a long-range pass from Garcia was expertly weighed to leave Kupsky unsure whether to attack the puck or stay in his crease. The onrushing Hebert latched onto this indecision and confidently finished between the wickets of the Flames goalie to close a wild opening period.

The middle stanza was equally as pulsating as its predecessor, with another five goals scored by both teams. Captain Critchlow scored in the 27th minute, again on a power play for the hosts, which would become somewhat of a theme in this post-Christmas clash. Guildford’s Waller did very well to loft the puck from close range into the Storm net just minutes later, cutting the lead in half. A team hat trick of special team goals was completed by a beautiful wrist shot from Morrow near the blue line after 33 minutes of action. He expertly glided across the top of the zone before picking his spot over the shoulders of a screened Kupsky. The hand-eye coordination of Critchlow was on display in his second goal and Storm’s sixth of the evening, as the team’s talisman batted the puck in from a reasonable distance while skating hard towards the goal. It was a contender for goal of the week. A rampant Manchester was buzzing all over the ice and sitting on a deserved three-goal cushion until a brief lapse in concentration at the back saw Tait steal his opportunity before sniping beyond a hapless Weninger to make it 6-4 Storm heading into the last period.

The goal-scoring frenzy played out in the opening forty minutes did eventually abate as both defensive groups began to cancel out the attacks more successfully than at any other point in the contest. A decisive penalty shot opportunity was well saved by Weninger as Tedesco’s dekes weren’t enough to outwit the Canadian shot stopper. A well-taken empty net goal from Durflinger ensured the Manchester sporting community would see a Boxing Day victory after both major footballing outfits failed to deliver.

Words by: Callum Schora