Leeds Knights blow away Hull Seahawks to enjoy New Year advantage over NIHL National rivals

But it seems the NIHL National leaders saved their best for last in Sunday night’s home clash against Hull Seahawks – at least for eight or so minutes of it anyway.

Having seen off Sheffield Steeldogs twice – the second time a hard-fought 5-3 road win at Ice Sheffield on Saturday – the Knights were looking to dish out the same treatment to their other White Rose rivals at Elland Road.

After 20 minutes, in a period which they dominated a visiting team missing influential centre Nathan Salem for a hit on Leeds’ Bailey Perre in last Thursday’s clash between the two at Hull Ice Arena, it looked like the second-tier pace-setters would do so.

They will have been frustrated not to have been more than 1-0 ahead, courtesy of Grant Cooper’s persistence when jabbing the puck past Jordan McLaughlin at 11.44, but they would have gone in at the first break in confident mood.

Just 42 seconds of the second period had elapsed however before that good vibe was ended, Emil Svec levelling for the visitors when left all alone at Gospel’s right-hand post to poke the puck home, silencing the majority of the sellout 2,037 crowd.

But those home fans need not have worried.

Cooper’s second of the night at 26.10 signalled the beginning of a nightmare eight-minute spell for the visitors who, by the time captain Kieran Brown beat a helpless McLaughlin at 34.44, found themselves hopelessly cast adrift at 7-1 down.

In between those two strikes, Carter Hamill, Cole Shudra (2) and a hat-trick marker from Cooper helped put the game out of sight for the Seahawks.

They were able to grab a third period consolation from Andrej Themar in the 54th minute, but it was the only shot to beat back-up netminder Harrison Walker.

The 20-year-old had rightly replaced Sam Gospel at the second intermission and looked solid, often comfortable, when turning away the other 12 shots fired on his net by the visitors.

On a triumphant night for the Knights, two more milestones emerged.

They came in the shape of man-of-the-match Zach Brooks becoming the fifth member of Ryan Aldridge’s roster to break through the 50-point mark for the season – joining Cooper, Shudra, Brown and Matt Haywood – while the skipper went through the 200-point barrier for the Knights, a considerable achievement given he is only halfway through his second season with the club.

The Knights, further buoyed by the earlier-than-expected return of veteran defenceman Sam Zajac against Hull, now sit one point ahead of Milton Keynes Lightning – who won 5-1 at Basingstoke Bison – and have three games in hand.

Peterborough Phantoms remain in third, a point further adrift and having played two games more than Leeds.