Rival Knights Overpower Blue Tongues

Ex-Blue Tongue Mark Rummukainen led a hard-hitting Canberra Knights team against the Gold Coast Blue Tongues on Saturday night. Fan favourite, and league leading scorer, Brad Smulders opened the scoring for the game, netting the puck past Knights goaltender Ryan Lowe on a breakaway a mere 2 minutes and 8 seconds into the game. While the Blue Tongues came out strong in the first period, the Knights played a hard and physical game, keeping up with Gold Coast every skate of the way. With 2 minutes and 33 seconds left in the first, Marko Raita sent his first past goaltender CJ Anderson on the powerplay to even up the score at the end of the first.

The second period is where the wheels fell off the wagon. The Knights, seemingly spurred on by their goal late in the first, dominated in the second period. The frustration was evident with the Blue Tongues continually being sent to the penalty box. Knights' Captain, Mark Rummukainen, scored his first goal of the season 2 minutes and 55 seconds into the second period, the Knights' second powerplay goal of the game on a 5-on-3 advantage. Less than a minute later, Jordan Gavin netted the Knights' third goal on the powerplay for the game, giving the visitors a 3-1 lead.

Brad Smulders tried to even things up 5 minutes and 28 seconds left in the second when he netted his second goal of the game. However, when Marco Bertossa was sent to the box for a 2 minute minor with just over 4 minutes left in the period, Marko Raita got his second powerplay goal of the game past CJ Anderson, and taking the Knights to a 4-2 lead going into the third period.

Blue Tongue import Andre Selander finally got past Knights goalie Ryan Lowe, after hitting the post 3 times earlier in the game, to take the Blue Tongues within a goal of the Knights, but they were too powerful. Canberra's fifth powerplay goal was unassisted by Nick Clelland and the final goal was scored by Marko Raita, celebrated by the Knights bench throwing hats onto the ice in tribute of the hatrick. The Knights won, 6-3.

The Blue Tongues will face off against the Knights again today at Iceland Bundall. Puck drop is at 4pm.