Leeds Knights come up just short as Peterborough Phantoms hold on to clinch National Cup

On the night, in a rousing second leg at Elland Road Ice Arena, they pounded away at Peterborough Phantoms to earn a thoroughly-deserved 6-2 win.

But the 6-0 defeat in Cambridgeshire – the first time this season they had been shut out – came back to hurt them.

And while it was an experienced Phantoms team that got their hands on silverware on Friday night in front of a sellout crowd, the Knights won’t have to wait too long to celebrate with a piece of their own, the presentation of the league trophy taking place on Sunday night after the league game at home to Basingstoke Bison.

As expected Leeds set the early pace, Jake Wikowski first to test on-loan netminder Calum Hepburn, the Phantoms left without Jordan Marr due to injury.

At the other end, Sam Gospel had to be alert on a couple of occasions, but a tripping call on Peterborough’s Will Weldon at 9.08 helped create the game’s first real decisive moment, Leeds making the subsequent power play count.

Mac Howlett drove deep into the Phantoms’ zone down the left, before laying the puck back to Kieran Brown on the blue line, he quickly switched play to Cole Shudra on the right from where he fired over Hepburn’s left shoulder at 10.26.

Not surprisingly, the majority of the crowd erupted sensing a sensational comeback was very much on, but that was the only time in the first period they got to their feet, the closest moment to another goal coming at the other end when Gospel made a smart save from Ales Padelek in the 16th minute.

It was the second period where the tie really came alive, though, the Knights scoring twice in just over two minutes, first through Witkowski at 24.07 before Adam Barnes got the home crowd on their feet again when he drove down the middle and beat Hepburn down to low to his left at 26.25.

Peterborough were a constant threat on the break, however, and got one back when Lukas Sladkovsky benefitted from a face-off win in his zone before breaking down the other end to beat Gospel with a clinical finish at 33.10.

But the Knights hit straight back, Shudra getting his second of the night just 50 seconds later.

In the third, Peterborough did an impressive job of trying to kill the game, making it difficult for the Knights to establish any time in the offensive zone.

But the hosts gave themselves hope when the puck fell to Matt Haywood at the bottom of the right circle from where he squeezed it past Hepburn at 52.19.

The roof nearly came off when the overall deficit became just one when Brown blasted home with just 27 seconds remaining.

But as was always likely, with Gospel long pulled from his net, it fell to Austin Mitchell-King to fire into the empty goal to break Knights’ hearts.

Leeds now return to league action by heading to Basingstoke Bison on Saturday as the first part of their double-header, the Knights playing host to Ashley Tait’s team 24 hours later on what will be a night of celebration regardless of the result.

Elsewhere, Sheffield Steeldogs host Peterborough tonight before heading to Raiders IHC on Sunday. Second-bottom Hull Seahawks host Milton Keynes on Sunday (5.30pm).