Belfast Giants 2-1 Nottingham Panthers (Challenge Cup Semi Final) 23.02.22

Nottingham Panthers were beaten in Belfast to end their Challenge Cup dream for 2022 as two goals from David Goodwin either side of Jeremy Welsh’s strike was enough for the Giants to reach the final.

Belfast were up in the first when the American former Atlanta Gladiator netted courtesy of Scott Conway’s assist but Nottingham were back in the tie during a power-play when Jeremy Welsh skated through the middle to slap past former Panther Jackson Whistle in the Giants goal.

It wasn’t long however before Belfast were back in the lead, late on in the second Goodwin courtesy of Cooper and Conway making it two for him and his side on the night.

Nottingham pushed in a third period with Netminder Kevin Carr pulled late on for an extra attacker but it was without joy as for the second time in a week Belfast edged to victory, the Giants will now play Cardiff Devils who beat Sheffield Steelers 5-0 in the other semi, in the final.

Panthers Assistant Coach Dave Whistle stating on his players “I think they’ve brought into (Coach) Mark Matheson’s systems, he’d been working with them for a long time and the first couple of games they weren’t really executing it that well, and the last four games we’ve been in every game, we’ve won a few of them, we’ve played the Giants twice and have both been one goal games, so I think the team is coming around, I think they are playing well for each other, and I think what was missing, maybe a little camaraderie, we have  a few new players to this team and I think it’s just kind of getting together right now”.

When asked on facing his son Jackson who was in between the Giants pipes and made a few good stops to deny Panthers proceeding, Dave said “I’m not ever wishing him to do bad, I just want to beat them, I would rather have three and let him score his two, it’s just on of those things, with (my other son) Brandon at Sheffield, a couple of weekends ago we all won our games and we all talked to each other and that was kind of nice”.

Panthers are back in Elite League action against Sheffield Steelers on Saturday as they look to get back to winning ways at the Motorpoint Arena against the league leaders before a trip south to Guildford Flames the next day.

*Main image @PanthersIHC action from a tough encounter in Belfast.