HAVING come in for criticism from both coach and some of their fans following a winless opening weekend to their NIHL National title defence, Leeds Knights produced a near-perfect response on Saturday night.

Briefly, it looked like it might be another tough night for the three-time regular season champions at Bristol Pitbulls, falling behind as they did to a slightly fortuitous strike for the home side inside two minutes.

But within 46 seconds they were level and by the end of the first period 4-1 ahead as they struck back in relentless fashion.

The goals were encouragingly spread around, too - Finley Bradon and Kieran Brown bagging two apiece in the first period, with other strikes coming from newcomers Balint Pakozdi, Liam Peyton and Arturs Mickevics.

MAGIC MOMENT: Teenage forward Edgars Vengis was rewarded for an impressive performance against Bristol with his first NIHL National goal for Leeds Knights. Picture: Ben Gordon/Knights Media.

placeholder image — MAGIC MOMENT: Teenage forward Edgars Vengis was rewarded for an impressive performance against Bristol with his first NIHL National goal for Leeds Knights. Picture: Ben Gordon/Knights Media.

Highlight of the night, though, will have been 17-year-old forward Edgars Vengis scoring his first-ever NIHL National goal for the Knights - just reward for another industrious and energetic performance.

In the end, the Pitbulls - who have now lost all 17 encounters with the Knights since moving up to the second-tier in 2022-23 - could not have argued if they had lost by more than the 8-2 scoreline the Knights settled for.

The two are due to meet again on Sunday evening at Elland Road Ice Arena and if the Knights come anywhere near close to their performance in the South West, Ales Padelek’s team could be in for another long night.

But, while there was much to admire in the Knights’ collective effort on Saturday, equally nobody should get carried away by just one win.

ON SONG: Fin Bradon enjoyed a four-point night in Bristol. Picture: Kev Bland/Knights Media.

A lucky bounce of the boards helped the Pitbulls get ahead on the power play through Josh Batch at 1.55 - the GB international almost apologetic in his celebration.

But once Bradon levelled on the next shift for the Knights, momentum markedly switched,

It gained pace while the visitors were shorthanded, Brown breaking clear down centre ice after excellent work by Matt Bissonnette to steal the puck and find him with a pinpoint backward pass, the captain then picking out Tommy Nappier’s top right-hand corner to make it 2-1 at 6.23.

Just as a Knights’ power play ended, Brown then fired through traffic finding the other corner of Nappier’s net to double the lead at 10.57.

Bradon doubled his tally just under four minutes later - another mistake on the power play by Bristol allowing the Knights to profit while a man down.

Vengis then made it a night to remember personally, too, when he was in the right place at the right time to fire home a rebound and make it 5-1 in the 28th minute, Pakozdi then scoring from close range at 37.38 on the power play to strengthen the Knights’ hold on the game.

Peyton then beat replacement goalie Harry Thomas at 44.16 with the end point of a sweet move involving Mickevics and Oli Endicott, who was then on hand with a fourth assist of the night to tee up his Latvian linemate at the back door to make it 8-1 at 53.14.

Bristol grabbed a late consolation through Jack Bricknell’s 59th minute power play strike - but the damage had been done long before that moment.