The Canberra Knights were sunk by a goal in the final minute of their game against the Western Sydney Ice Dogs at Sydney Ice Arena.
Goals from Marko Raita and Mark Rummukainen and a 20-save performance by goaltender Tommi Kela took Canberra to within 3.6 seconds of a 2-2 regulation tie before Ice Dogs stole the game.
The Knights are, however, still in the play-off hunt after a midweek announcement by the league to officially award Canberra six points for the game forfeited by Adelaide on June 21.
Canberra will visit Brisbane for a double-header in two weeks before returning to the Ice House on August 2.
The Canberra Knights, playing in new traditional teal coloured uniforms, were edged 5-4 by the Western Sydney Ice Dogs at the Phillip Ice House earlier tonight.
Andrew Howard and Matti Luoma recorded three points each for the Knights who were unable to tie the game despite playing the last 31 seconds with an extra attacker on.
The Ice Dogs went ahead midway through the first period through Scott Stephenson who finished a two-on-nothing breakaway only for Howard to square the game 90 seconds later.
Jason Gibson put Western Sydney in the lead again early in the second before Juha Falin tied the game once more with a slap shot from just inside the blue line.
But Stephenson put the visitors in front for good with three minutes left in the period as the Ice Dogs replied with three unanswered goals for a 5-2 lead.
The Knights were, however, reenergized when Howard scored on his first shift of the third period after sitting 12 minutes for checking-from-behind.
Knights captain Mark Rummukainen then made it a one-goal contest when his wrist shot from 55 feet snuck in for a power play goal.
Canberra pulled Luke Fiveash with half a minute remaining but was unable to make up the difference.
Canberra will visit the Ice Dogs next week in their first of three road games and will not return to the Ice House until August 2.
The Canberra Knights were beaten 2-0 by the Central Coast Rhinos at Gosford earlier this evening.
With last week's four-goal hero Matti Luoma missing from the game through illness, the punchless Knights had no answer to the Rhinos' two first period goals.
Canberra returns home to face the Western Sydney Ice Dogs on June 28 in their last home game until August 2.
Canberra Knights management have confirmed that Saturdays' game against Adelaide Avalanche has been cancelled.
The Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) advise that the Adelaide Avalanche have withdrawn from the remainder of the 2008 season due to financial and administrative reasons.
The AIHL Board is currenlty investigating various options in regards to the team's continuance in the AIHL. The fate of the team is likely be known within the next 2 weeks.
The hot and cold Canberra Knights have bounced back from a disappointing 4-2 loss to the Central Coast at home on Saturday with a 5-2 win over the Rhinos in Gosford tonight.
The win was an All Fin Affair' for the Knights, with Matti Luoma, Canberra's new Finnish import, scoring four goals in a dominant performance. Countryman Marko Raita tallied scored four assists three of them for with Luoma while Juha Falin, an offensive defenseman, also from Finland, added one goal.
Central Coast fans had to wait until the second period before the scoring was opened. That came just 36 seconds in with a coast to coast goal from Luoma.
He took the puck behind the net from Raita, then skated the length of the ice and slid the puck under the keeper.
The Rhinos evened up the score half a minute later through Beau Taylor, but soon gave up a power play to the Knights.
Defenceman Aaron Clayworth passed to Juha Falin in the low slot, and the Fin added the Knights' second.
The Rhinos fought back and levelled the scores through their own import, Simon Kummu. But again, within a minute, the Knights had scored.
The Central Coast gave the puck away in their own zone, Luoma picked it up and worked a give and go with Raita for the Knights third goal.
At 3-2 by the end of the period, the Rhinos were still very much in the game, but 52 seconds into the third, Raita tore down the right wing and fired a shot across the crease. The keeper split it Luoma cleaned it up at the far post.
Luoma put the final goal in with 12:26 left in the game. Central Coast fought hard but couldn't scored, during a disciplined, penalty-free period for the Knights.
Luke Fiveash had a typically solid game with 24 saves from 26 shots for the Knights.
The younger Knights team members Chris McPhail, Mikey Johnstone and Tom Letki saw plenty of ice in the match, and played well.
The Knights will face off against the Rhinos in Gosford again next Sunday, but not before taking on Adelaide at home on Saturday night for a game worth double points.
The Canberra Knights went down 4-2 against the Central Coast Rhinos at the Phillip Ice House.
Despite outshooting the visitors 32-22, the Knights fell victim to three Rhinos power play goals as they racked up 11 minor penalties along the way.
The Rhinos took the lead through Simon Kummu before Canberra's Andrew Howard tied the game with a stiff wrist shot into the roof of the goal.
Beau Taylor put the Central Coast ahead again only for Matti Luoma to tie the contest once more by firing in off the post from between the face-off circles.
But when Central Coast captain Mark Walsh sparked off a fracas by slashing Howard behind the play, the Knights found themselves a player down after an overzealous retaliation.
The Rhinos converted the power play and sealed the win with an empty-netter 32 seconds from the end.
The two teams meet again in Gosford tomorrow, 15 June.
The Canberra Knights dealt the Penrith Bears their
first defeat of the season with a 6-5 come-from-behind
win at the Phillip Ice House.
Juha Falin and Marko Raita scored two goals each for
the Knights as they overcame a three-goal first period
deficit.
Canberra will next play a three-game series against
the Central Coast Rhinos beginning at the Ice House on
June 14.
For more information, please refer to the attached
game report.
Team update:
+ Knights players Ollie Rozdarz and Jordan Gavin are heading overseas on 14 June 08 to represent Australia in the IIHF World Inline Hockey championships held in Bratislava, Slovakia.
+ The Knights webmaster will be away from from 14 June - 28 July therefore only minor updates will take place.
+ View the images from the game
+ View the media release from the game
The Canberra Knights dropped the first game of a home-and-home series against the Penrith Bears 5-4.
Trying to overcome another slow first period showing, the Knights battled to the end, sending an extra attacker on to chase a two goal deficit with a minute and a half remaining.
The move was only a marginal success, however, as Canberra pulled a goal back before time ran out.
The return leg will see the Bears visit Canberra on June 7.
Team update:
+ New import Andrew Howard (USA) has arrived
+ New import Matti Lliona (FIN) has arrived
+ Candaian import Joel Kitchen has returned to Canada
+ Knights play Penrith Bears at home - Saturday 7 June 2008
+ View the media release from the game
There was little working for the Canberra Knights as they went down 7-1 at home to the Newcastle Northstars.
Despite winning 70% of the draws in the opening period, the Knights' only highlight was import Andrew Howard's goal with 1:02 remaining.
Newcastle import B J Pulkey produced a stellar six-point effort as the visitors out shot Canberra 34-18.
With the game decided by the middle of the third period, the Knights sent on rookie Chris McPhail, who made several steady plays under pressure.
Canberra travels to Penrith tomorrow to play the Bears in the first of a home-and-home series.
+ View the media release from the game
+ View the images from the game
The Canberra Knights snapped a four-game winless streak with a 3-2 shootout win Melbourne Ice at the Olympic Ice Skating Centre.
Canberra's imports shined once more as goals by Joel Kitchen and Juha Falin lifted the Knights to a tie at the end of regulation time for the third straight game.
Goaltender Tommi Kela, who had already stopped 34shots for the Knights in open play, then saved all three Melbourne penalty shots as Ollie Rozdarz's lone successful attempt proved the difference.
Canberra hosts the Newcastle Northstars on May 31before a pair of home-and-home series against the Penrith Bears and the Central Coast Rhinos.
+ View the media release from the game