Swindon Wildcats got their playoff campaign underway with a fabulous four-point weekend against Sheffield Steeldogs to take a big step towards Coventry.
Starting their campaign with a doubleheader against Sheffield, the Wildcats made a dramatic comeback at the Link Centre to win 4-2 before picking up a key 4-3 win on the road.
On Saturday night, the Wildcats came racing out of the blocks and had the majority of the big chances, but when the deadlock was broken, it was by the Dogs, with veteran Jonathan Phillips cutting inside and sliding the puck past Renny Marr.
The puck fell nicely to Phillips again, as he raced down the ice and fired a perfect shot into the top corner to double the Dogs’ advantage.
The Cats battled back into the game and got a power play opportunity, which they executed with a blast from Aaron Nell, which sent the home crowd wild.
The Cats then carried the momentum into the final period and scored an early goal through Tomasz Malasinski, who tapped the puck into the back of the net to level.
When it looked like it could be heading to overtime, up stepped Nell, who played a lovely one-two with Balint Pakozdi and fired it into the roof of the net to give the Wildcats the lead with less than four minutes to go.
It was the loudest the Link Centre has been all season, with the Cats fans waving their red towels. Malasinski then put the nail in the coffin, scoring his second goal and securing the 4-2 victory.
Then, in Sheffield on Sunday night, the Wildcats started this game off strong and got that early goal through Glenn Billing, who tapped the puck into the net at the back post.
Jake Bricknell had to go off after receiving a hit to the face, he then returned five minutes later, and on his shift back, he made a big hit on the Steeldogs player, grabbed the puck, went around the defensemen and wrapped it into the back of the net.
That lead was then increased to three with another goal by Billing. This time, he lifted it high past Crowe to give the Wildcats the perfect start to the game.
The Dogs came back at them with Walker Sommer and Elmeri Halfors scoring, but Bricknell set up Pakozdi to reassert the lead.
Ivan Bjorkly-Nordstrom did pull one back, but the weekend was the Wildcats’ as they now prepare to take on MK twice this weekend.
