Leeds Knights 6 Milton Keynes Lightning 1: Knights make it perfect 10 as closest rivals are put to the sword

This was supposed to be the Knights’ biggest test of the campaign, but it proved to be anything but as a performance bursting with energy saw them deservedly get the better of their closest rivals.

From the moment Adam Barnes opened the scoring inside the first minute the Knights never looked back at Elland Road Ice Arena.

Matt Haywood kept a cool head to make it 2-0 in the 10th minute and although the Lightning got themselves back in the game through a Sean Norris power play strike early in the second, that was close as they got.

Two strikes in less than 30 seconds from the Knights soon after effectively put the game beyond the reach of the visitors, Haywood bagging his second of the night at 25.57 before Zach Brooks made it 4-1.

The Knights finished off the Lightning in the third, captain Kieran Brown firing a bullet past Jordan Hedley at 43.57, with defenceman Archie Hazeldine rounding off the scoring for the night with a tip-in at the far post.

Milton Keynes enjoyed plenty of possession of their own, but they found clear-cut chances difficult to come by and, when they did find a way through, they came up against a goaltender in Sam Gospel in top form, saving all but one of the 38 shots on his net.

But the tone for the night had been set early on by the Knights at the other end of the ice when they got off to the perfect start.

Barnes was allowed to dance down the right-hand side unopposed and, with a clear line to goal, cut inside to the hashmarks from where he beat Jordan Hedley over his left shoulder at his near post.

At the other end, the Knights excelled on the penalty kill when the Lightning found themselves with a two-man advantage after Haywood – for tripping – and Barnes – for interference – were sent to the box. Given the offensive clout the Lightning have shown already this season, it was always going to be a tough ask of the Knights’ penalty kill unit, but it was one they pulled off with relative ease, keeping the visitors largely to the outside, while Gospel snapped up anything that came near his net.

As a result, momentum was with the Knights and they doubled their lead. Barnes was involved again, finding Brown in front of net from the left boards, the Leeds captain swivelling quickly to fire off a one-timer which Hedley could only smother, the puck falling kindly to a grateful Haywood, who kept his cool to walk the puck around the stranded netminder and into the net.

Dylan Hehir - impressive all night in defence - danced down the right side and threw a speculative effort on net that almost caught Hedley by surprise on his near post, while Cooper saw an effort smothered when set up from behind the net by Cole Shudra.

Gospel was also kept busy throughout but never fully stretched, Brown went close twice in quick succession from close range before the first period break came with the only other incident of note being when Jordan Griffin and Jamieson dropped the gloves near the Lightning bench, the tension that had been brewing coming to life with both heading to the box.

The Lightning came out for the second with more intent, initially wasting a three-on-one opportunity before their pressure told, Norris firing past Gospel on the power play to make it 2-1 with Haywood in the box on a slashing call.

The goal came in the middle of a spell where the Lightning were beginning to get on top, but momentum swung back towards the hosts when they restored their two-goal cushion through a second strike for Haywood at 25.57, an initial strike from Barnes being blocked with the Knights’ veteran centre quickest to react to the loose puck and force it home.

Just 28 more seconds had passed when the lead was extended, this time through Zach Brooks from close range.

Liam Stewart, a bundle of energy all night for the Lightning, forced a save from Gospel in the 32nd minute, the Leeds netminder then denying Bobby Chamberlain from the right hash marks.

Stewart was then denied twice at close range by Gospel while, at the other end, Grant Cooper saw his effort from the bottom of the left circle thwarted by Hedley’s quick movement from one side of his net to the other.

The Lightning were enjoying more zone time towards the end of the second, but they were harried and harrased by their hosts at every turn.

Coming out for the third – and given the Knights’ ability to allow teams back into games already this season – it was still too early to write the visitors off.

But any hope they did have of a comeback was ended early on, as the direct result of some excellent battling by Ethan Hehir just outside the Lightning zone on the left boards.

The 21-year-old forward won the puck before quickly releasing Brown and although the Leeds captain still had plenty to do, he made the next part look easy, firing through the narrowest of gaps between Hedley’s right shoulder and the crossbar to make it 5-1 at 43.57.

Not surprisingly, the tempo slowed, both teams seemingly accepting there was little likely to change in terms of the result. Cheap penalties were taken by both teams before insult was added to injury when the Knights made it 6-1 with less than four minutes remaining.

After winning possession on the right-hand boards near the blue line, Dylan Hehir produced a moment of quality when his pinpoint pass picked out fellow defenceman Hazeldine at Hedley’s far post, the 18-year-old tipping in to make it 6-1 in the 57th minute.