The 6-0 Edinburgh Capitals welcomed the Dundee Rockets to Murrayfield on Saturday, for what would be a violent clash of two top teams.
The #1 ranked Edinburgh side came into the game riding a hot streak after a win against Kirkcaldy in the previous league outing. The reigning champion Rockets were hot on their heels, sitting at 5-1.
The Capitals have leaned on their strong defence all season, and the Murrayfield crowd has also added to the home advantage, averaging over 1000 fans each week.
The first period saw Edinburgh come out on the attack. They controlled the puck with several shots on target. Strong goalie play from the Rockets allowed them to make some quick substitutions and get back on the attack.
Penalties by Edinburgh handed the advantage to Dundee, who pressed the vulnerable Caps defence. Valiant saves by goalie Ben Kiddie saw them through the penalty period unscathed.
Edinburgh standout Chad Smith said “We’ve had a tendency over the last couple of years to start slow, so we came out at the start of the game with the plan to lock them up.”
Back to full strength, the Capitals quickly counterattacked, culminating with a tap-in by Joe Lynch.
Edinburgh maintained a relentless siege on the D zone of Dundee, but Rockets goalie Dale Shearer remained cool under the heat with multiple saves. Eventually, Chad Smith sniped one in with 3 minutes left in the 1st.
Smith said “We have a lot of talent up front. Going 2-0 up in the first was massive and then we just fell into rhythm.”
Dundee came out swinging in P2 and got Edinburgh on the back foot. As the physicality heated up, Dundee’s first penalty gave the Caps a great scoring opportunity. Two shots by Chad Smith were saved again by the ice-cold Shearer.
Contact near the Dundee net saw another pair of players sent to the sin bin. A counter-offensive by the Rockets came up short thanks to impregnable goaltending by Kiddie as the 2nd period ends.
The start of the 3rd was a back-and-forth stalemate, until a Dundee penalty allowed the Capitals to take advantage for Joe Lynch’s second goal of the day.
Dundee responded with a renewed vigour and Robbie Hill gave the Rockets their first goal to bring it to 3-1. A blazing manoeuvre saw Deniss Kontseus slot in a second goal for Dundee, as the game appeared to have changed in a heartbeat.
Chad Smith said “We had a little lapse in concentration… we had a lot of penalties and that threw the boys off their rhythm. Whether up three or down three, the gameplan is always the same.”
Tensions continued to escalate as the Caps goalie lost his stick, making another save regardless. A scuffle broke out near the Edinburgh net, resulting in Dundee’s Cameron McGiffin being ejected from the game.
The frantic Rockets sold out for the equaliser with a power play late in the 3rd, leaving an open net for Sean Stewart to score his first goal for the Caps.
At the final buzzer, the scoreline finished 4-2 to the hometown Capitals. Edinburgh’s Canadian import Sean Stewart and Dundee goalie Dale Shearer each earned Man of the Match honours.
Smith said “They’re a good offensive team and being about to shut them down is massive. The morale in the room right now is great – we are undefeated, and the guys are buzzing.”
The return fixture in Dundee the following night resulted in a 5-4 overtime win for Edinburgh, continuing their dominant run.
Image c/o Ian Coyle, Edinburgh Capitals
