The Swindon Wildcats made it four wins from four in the playoffs after beating the Milton Keynes Lightning home and away this weekend. 


On Saturday night the Cats battled hard to win an overtime thriller in Milton Keynes, Jake Bricknell scoring the game winning goal. Then on Sunday the Cats battled from 3-1 down to beat the Lightning 4-3 in a packed out Link Centre. 


“That was the loudest I’ve ever heard it at the Link Centre tonight!” Was the words of man of the match on the night Glenn Billing.


Head coach Aaron Nell however still knows his team needs one more win in their final two games against the Romford Raiders to book their spot at the Coventry finals weekend. 


Saturday Night Report: Lightning Vs Wildcats


The Wildcats withstood the early Lightning pressure and got a power play opportunity which they executed perfectly through Billing who tapped the puck past Will Kerlin to open the scoring. Then less than two minutes left of the first period, the Cats got another power play and once again were clinical with Bricknell finding space and firing it into the back of the net. 


Just 30 seconds into the second period the Wildcats player-coach would make it three as he redirected the puck past Kerlin to silence the home crowd. However the Lightning got a power play of their own and scored a nice goal through Harry Gulliver. Less than five minutes later the momentum turned in the home sides favour and Dillon Lawrence brought the game within one with a rebound past Renny Marr. 


The third period came and the Lightning got given a golden opportunity on the 5 on 3 power play, and just as the first Wildcats penalty had been killed, it was Lawrence again who tapped in another rebound to tie it all up at three. The game would not be decided in regulation which meant overtime to decide who got the extra point. After a back and forth overtime period, with just 14 seconds left, Bricknell fired a shot through Kerlin to send the away fans into elation!


End of the game: Lightning 3-4 Wildcats


Sunday night report: Wildcats Vs Lightning


After some heavy Wildcats pressure it would be the Lightning who took the lead, Lawrence with a laser shot into the top corner past Marr. But the score would be levelled with Pakozdi firing the puck from a tight angle which snuck in the near post. The Lightning however, retook their lead with Ross Venus tipping the puck past Marr.


It was then a fast start by the away side who extended the lead to two with Lawrence firing one past Marr and into the net. Just as it has been all weekend though, the Wildcats power play struck again, this time Ryan Wells firing a perfect shot low past Kerlin to get within one again. Then less than 3 minutes later, the other Canadian Bricknell joined in on the goalscoring action with a hard wrist shot beating Kerlin and into the net, setting up a grandstand final period. 


The huge momentum turner came when the Wildcats killed off the Lightning’s 5 on 3 powerplay and with less than 10 minutes left, Edgars Bebris found some space and fired a hard shot low past Kerlin which would turn out to be the game winning goal which wrapped up a four-point weekend for the Cats. 


End of the game: Wildcats 4-3 Lightning


It all comes down to the final two games of the playoff group stage, the Wildcats just need one win to top the group and qualify for Coventry.