Leeds Knights on the charge after recording maximum haul against Peterborough Phantoms

A double-header weekend against Peterborough Phantoms – themselves unbeaten coming in – was always going to provide a stiff examination of the Knights’ credentials.

But they passed this early-season test with flying colours, a 5-2 win on Saturday in front of 1,100 fans at Elland Road being followed by an even more impressive 7-4 victory in Peterborough.

Once again, import forward Grant Cooper was to the fore, adding to his two-goal haul on home ice with a 12-minute, third period, four-goal blitz 24 hours later, helping his team overturn a 4-3 deficit and taking his regular season tally to 10 goals from just four games.

In Peterborough, fellow import Zach Brooks also shone brightly, getting his just rewards for some impressive performances to date when his late empty-netter sealed a deserved hat-trick.

Together with centre Cole Shudra the trio are currently proving an unstoppable force in the second tier.

Long may it continue, the Knights now one of only two unbeaten teams in the division, with Milton Keynes Lightning matching their pace by registering their fourth straight win by edging out hosts Bristol Pitbulls 3-2.

On Saturday, while there were was enough of the usual attacking flair that Knights fans have come to expect from their team already so early this season, it was mixed with plenty of grit, too.

Having gone 4-0 up just past the halfway mark, Leeds looked home and dry. At 4-2 with just over 12 minutes remaining, they looked anything but.

It took a second strike of the night from Shudra to settle the home nerves, his piledriver landing home amid plenty of resolute defence from the hosts.

It was that man Cooper who gave the Knights the start they were looking for, intercepting the puck before beating Jordan Marr with just seven minutes on the clock.

That was how it stayed until a three-goal blitz in seven second period minutes put the home side firmly in control, Cooper doubling his tally at 24.42 with a well-worked powerplay move which saw him fire low past Marr at his left-hand post from the bottom of the right circle.

Next, it was the turn of the Knights’ first line to get in on the act, captain Kieran Brown finding Matt Haywood in front, from where he skilfully laid off for Adam Barnes to open his account for the season from close range at 29.23.

Just over two minutes later, the industrious Brooks set up Shudra to get his first of the night, back-handing past Marr.

But Peterborough gave themselves hope within five minutes, Duncan Speirs scoring on the power play at 34.42.

Concerns grew when the deficit became just two after Austin Mitchell-King struck at 47.38, with just three seconds remaining on a holding penalty handed to Carter Hamill.

The pressure was on, but Sam Gospel stood tall alongside some solid defending in front of him long enough for Shudra to put some further daylight back between the two sides at 55.48.