Three Sheffield Steeldogs goals in the opening quarter of an hour effectively ended Milton Keynes Lightning’s hopes of a glorious end to the season with a 4-1 defeat in the Play-off Championship Final at Coventry Skydome on Sunday. Although MK did reply after Steeldogs second goal, it was the South Yorkshire side who were in the ascendancy. When Jason Hewitt added a third on 14mins 17secs Lewis Clifford’s men’s task became almost impossible. As the game went on Sheffield tightened their grip on the play, closing down the channels in the centre and forcing MK to the margins from [...]

Telford Tigers just edged out Milton Keynes Lightning 6-4 in the final play off group game in Shropshire on Sunday – both teams already assured of qualification for the Coventry semi-finals. With the place in the final four in the bag MK coach Lewis Clifford took the opportunity to give some extra ice time to players who had not featured heavily in the line-up in recent times. Brandon Stones was given the netminder’s duties while Callum Field and Edgars Landsbergs played on the third line. The skating duo did not waste the opportunity to make an impression with Landsbergs [...]

Coventry here we come! Bees were stung by two late goals as Milton Keynes Lightning sealed their place at ‘The Dance’ with a 5-3 victory at Planet Ice on Friday. The result meant that Lightning qualified for the final four play-offs with one game – at Telford Tigers – to spare. Tigers join them at the Skydome after defeating Leeds Knights. With home fans chanting ‘Win it for Norris’ from the 86 seconds point – a reference to injured Sean’s shirt number and the injury he suffered in the first game – MK were dealt an early blow when [...]

A penalty shootout loss at Bees all but put Milton Keynes Lightning through to the Coventry playoff semi-finals weekend in a game marred by an injury to Sean Norris. Norris was stretchered off the ice after taking a big hit in the dying seconds of overtime at Slough while the sides were tied at one apiece. With concerns about the well-being of the popular forward, it was perhaps not surprising that minds may not have been totally focussed on the shootout. Despite that goalie Matt Smital went on to save all but one of the five penalty shots – [...]

Milton Keynes Lightning have one skate in the final four play-offs at Coventry after league champions Telford Tigers were handed a 5-2 defeat at Planet Ice on Saturday. Tigers were outplayed in all three periods as Lightning again started the game at pace – outshooting their opponents 15-4 in the first period alone. By the final buzzer, the shots on goal tally read 50-26 in MK’s favour. The result left Lightning as the only team with maximum points in the two play-off groups and realistically needing just one more victory to assure the side of a trip to the [...]

A spectacular fightback in which Milton Keynes Lightning came from being a goal behind at the end of the second period to win 3-2 at Leeds Knights, completed the best possible opening weekend to their Play-Off Group campaign on Sunday. With Bees losing twice to league champions Telford Tigers, the favourites to go through to the Coventry weekend semi-finals will now be Tigers and Lightning. It may be a case of ‘it ain’t over until the fat lady sings’ but on league form – and that can count for nothing post season - MK will be confident of taking [...]

What a win! What a performance! What a ‘Knightmare’ for Leeds as Matt Smital claimed his first shut-out in Lightning colours as MK’s play-off campaign begun in style with a 5-0 victory at Planet Ice on Friday. Leeds did not know what had hit them with Lightning on fire and blitzing netminder Sam Gospel’s goal from the first buzzer – Liam Stewart’s great shot testing him in the third minute before Hallden Barnes-Garner’s cross-cum-shot from the left was almost tipped in by Tim Wallace a minute later. The host’s dominance did not pay off in the first period with [...]

A third period fightback by Milton Keynes Lightning almost spoiled the party at Telford Tigers’ last home league game of the season – Lewis Clifford’s men twice taking the lead, only to lose out by the odd goal in a 5-4 defeat. The result will give encouragement to Lightning who meet their Shropshire rivals in the play-off group games beginning next weekend – a double header against Leeds Knights starting the campaign for the city outfit. After Tigers took a 2-0 lead by the 24th minute it looked as though it was business as usual for the league champions – [...]