Fife Flyers take a one-goal cushion into Sunday’s second leg of the Elite League play-off, quarter-final, after letting slip a 4-0 lead.
The Kirkcaldy combine roared to what appeared a comfortable advantage after 32 minutes, but then the roof fell in.
Three goals in 16 nightmare minutes put Dundee, the Gardiner Conference champions, back in the tie and with the chance of joining Glasgow-based Braehead Clan in the final four in Nottingham.
The packed terraces at Rosslyn Street rocked as the home side roared to a 3-0 lead.
The goals came in a devastating eight-minute spell. The opener came on the powerplay from Bobby Chaumont after eight minutes.
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Fife doubled their lead three minutes later as Jordan Fulton was on target and then added a third in the 16th minute with a strike from Derek Roehl.
Chaumont added his second also on the powerplay after 32 minutes to establish a 4-0 lead.
However, with nine seconds of the second period remaining, Stars pulled one back as Russian-born assistant player/coach Nikita Kashirsky netted on the powerplay with Fife in penalty trouble.
That proved crucial. The Tayside team reduced the deficit even further after 45 minutes as Rory Rawlyk, a surprise inclusion in the side after being ruled out earlier in the campaign through injury, was on target.
And Dundee narrowed the gap to one with a second powerplay goal from Kashirskywith less than five minutes remaining.
Fife finished with 27 penalty minutes compared to Dundee’s 21 and Fife’s Kevin Regan was the less busy goaltender, dealing with 12 shots in the first, nine in the second and eight in the third.
His opposite number, Dan Bakala, faced a total of 38 shots. A incredible 20 came in the opering session followed by nine each in the second and third.
In a stormy end to the game, Flyers accused Stars player-coach Jeff Hutchins of refusing to shake hands at full-time adding extra spice to what is sure to be a pulsating atmosphere in Sunday’s deciding leg, which starts at 6.30pm.