LEEDS KNIGHTS got their bid for an NIHL National treble off to the perfect start when they recorded a maximum four-point haul on the opening weekend of the play-offs.
Coming up against a Telford Tigers team who had only booked their place in the top eight on the final weekend of the regular season, the Knights expected a tough 48 hours and so it proved.
The 2024-25 league and National Cup champions needed an overtime winner from Kieran Brown to take both points on Saturday night in Telford, before they enjoyed a more comfortable evening on home ice when they ran out 9-2 winners.
It left the Knights top of the Group A play-off standings, with Hull Seahawks and Peterborough Phantoms squaring their head-to-head weekend with a home win apiece.
The Knights, of course, take on the Seahawks in an eagerly-anticipated double-header this weekend, before closing out their group campaign against the Phantoms on April 12-13.
In Telford, the Knights got off to a flying start in the first period, Jordan Buesa breaking the deadlock with just 96 seconds gone before Brown doubled the advantage on the power play in the 13th minute.
Telford roared back in the second and were level just before the halfway point, when Joseph Aston beat Sam Gospel to add to Danny Rose’s strike for the hosts at 22.09.
But the Knights got themselves ahead again before the second intermission when Oli Endicott pounced at 35.37 for a 3-2 lead that stayed intact until the 57th minute.
That is when Harry Ferguson struck to pull the Tigers level, although the home fans’ joy didn’t last long into overtime, Brown grabbing the extra point on offer 94 seconds in.
The Knights got off to the worst possible start start on home ice 24 hours later when they went behind with just 65 seconds gone through Eric Henderson’s short-handed strike.
The Knights rallied though and took a 3-1 lead into the first break through two goals in the space of eight seconds of each other by Matt Barron before a power play effort at 14.15 from Mac Howlett.
Another short-handed strike - from David Thomson just before the halfway mark - ensured the Knights wouldn’t have it all their own way, but normal service was resumed when Noah McMullin restored the two-goal cushion just 21 seconds later at 30.07.
Buesa then had the home crowd out of their seats when he made it 5-2 less than two minutes later with a long-range rocket of a shot that gave goalie Tigers’ Brad Day no chance.
The Knights pressed home their advantage in the third when Howlett and Buesa both doubled their tallies with more than 10 minutes remaining before Barron then completed his hat-trick in the 52nd minute.
Finley Bradon was rewarded for another impressive display when he scored on the power play at 55.02 as the Knight ran out deserved 9-2 winners.
