Panthers Fall To Double Defeat
Nottingham Panthers 2-6 Sheffield Steelers (Elite League) 22.02.20
Guildford Flames 4-1 Nottingham Panthers (Elite League) 23.02.20
As weekends go it was not one to remember in the history of Nottingham Panthers as they fell to back to back Elite League defeats for the second time this year but more importantly in the grand scheme of things the crucial timing of these losses couldn’t have come at a worse time for the teams title ambitions which now look to have slipped away.
On Saturday night the Panthers took a mauling from league leaders Sheffield Steelers, the biggest of rivals winning 6-2 at the Arena the joint biggest defeat of the season suffered by Nottingham and the first time the Panthers had lost by more than two goals since September.
On Sunday night things got worse, a crushing 4-1 defeat at Guildford Flames leaves Nottingham in third six points from top spot.
It all started with so much optimism too, the Panthers went in to Saturday’s show down knowing a win would take them level with Sheffield but in the end the visitors proved much too strong.
Mike Davies opened the scoring before Adam Deutsch levelled to end the first period all square but the Steelers would run away with a second period netteing three times without reply.
Vallerand, DeLuca and Sandstrom giving the Steelers a 1-4 lead going into the third which soon turned to five when Brendan Connelly netted early doors. Golokovs did pull one back for Nottingham but the damage was done and more pain was inflicted just 30 seconds after the Latvian netted as Sandstrom rounded things off for Sheffield with his second of the night.
Yesterday a deflated Panthers took to the ice in Guildford with confidence zapped from the previous nights performance and it was much of the same as the Flames took a 3-0 lead scoring twice in the first period before ending the second with a powerplay goal.
Nottingham did pull one back through Betteridge in the third but as the Panthers chased sacrificing netminder Carr Dunbar finished the tie by scoring into an empty net.
Next up for Panthers is Cardiff Devils with the second place team now looking favourite to go on and win the league with nothing less than a Panthers win needed to keep Nottingham’s slim hopes of the championship alive.
*Main image @PanthersIHC Ollie Betteridge in action against Guildford in a bad weekend for the Panthers.
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