Leeds Knights proving why they are still best-placed to play the lead role in NIHL National

Trailing 1-0 at the end of the first period at home to Telford Tigers on Friday night? No problem, the Knights coming back to win 5-1.

Losing 3-0 after 16 minutes at bottom club Bristol Pitbulls on Saturday night? Piece of cake, Leeds hitting back and then some with six unanswered goals before running out 7-4 winners to maintain their five-point lead over second-placed Milton Keynes Lightning, who themselves came from behind to beat Raiders IHC 8-5.

But the Knights were to find themselves the beneficiaries from the rematch between Lightning and Raiders 24 hours later, with Sean Easton’s side winning 3-2 on home ice on Sunday to ensure the Knights points advantage remained intact come Monday morning.

There are, however, still 21 games remaining. The first of those is one of the biggest and comes this Friday night when the Lightning visit Leeds.

A third home win of the season over their closest rivals won’t guarantee the Knights anything, of course, but it is a massive night for both teams’ title hopes, nonetheless.

On Saturday, the Knights struggled to get out of first gear in the first period, much like they did against Telford 24 hours earlier.

This time, they were made to pay for their efforts in a bigger way, power play goals from import defenceman Tanner Butler and veteran forward Max Birbraer putting the host 2-0 ahead inside 13 minutes, the lead extended at 15.44 through Sean Morris.

But, crucially, the Knights got on the board before the first intermission, Jake Witkowski making his team’s power play count at 18.32.

Thereafter, it was the Knights who prospered, Oli Endicott bagging his eighth league goal of the season before captain Kieran Brown got in on the act just after the halfway mark to haul his team level.

Another power play opportunity brought another strike from the captain, this time beating Ben Norton from distance to put his side ahead with just 42 seconds of the period remaining.

There was little between the two sides at the start of the third, but the killer blow for the hosts came in the 49th minute when Bow Neely made it 5-3.

Brown completed his hat-trick at 53.07 and although a second from Butler gave the Pitbulls hopes of a comeback at 55.27 when he made it 6-4, time gradually ran out, Noah McMullin firing in an empty-netter with just five seconds remaining.