After starting the 2024/25 EIHL season with back-to-back Challenge Cup victories, the Nottingham Panthers were back at work in the newly formatted domestic cup competition against lowly rated Coventry Blaze and the return fixture against the Guildford Flames.
The Panthers started the weekend at home against the Blaze and hit the road running, striking only two minutes into the first period with Tim Doherty, this then being followed up at the back end of the period by Matt Alfaro to double Nottingham’s lead. The second period brought little for the scoresheet to write home about allowing the home side to maintain their lead heading into the final period. Coventry wasn’t going to go down easy however, with the Blaze bringing it to a one goal game in the first minute of the final period with a power-play goal from Alessio Luciani. Ten Minutes later the Panther’s would recover their two goal lead as Matt Alfaro would find the back of the net with less than eight minutes remaining. The Blaze wouldn’t stop fighting though and would have the last word with their second goal on the man advantage, this time with the netminder pulled, as 26 year old Chase Gresock would beat Ryan Bednard. Despite Coventry’s late efforts the Panther’s would cross the finishing line with the 2 points in the 3-2 victory.
Sunday evening had the Nottingham Panthers on the road down south to face the Guildford Flames who were out for revenge after the black and gold defeated them in a tight 4-3 victory at the Motorpoint Arena. Once again the Panthers struck early with Captain Sam Herr tucking home the puck on the 5 on 3 power play. The second period was once again another one goal affair for the Panthers, this time 21 year old Logan Neilson kept up his hype with a backhanded goal on a 1 on 0 breakaway from a poor play from the Flames. Like Coventry the day before however, the Surrey based side wasn’t going down easy, with starman Daniel Tedesco giving the homeside their first goal on the powerplay a couple of minutes into the final period, this follow ten minutes later by Matt Alvaro who was able to bring it to a tied game, two goals a piece. It looked set to be won for the visitors when Hugo Roy gave the game it’s third power play goal of the game with only four minutes left on the clock, but once again with the netminder pulled for the extra skater, Nottingham conceded with only 8 seconds to go from some craft build up play with the puck meeting its intended target with the help of Daniel Tedesco once more to force overtime.
Overtime brought the continued theme of fast, physical and exciting hockey with five minutes of end to end action with both teams hitting the posts to go near to win the game, however neither side could hit the back of the net so the game would be decided by penalties. Kristoff Kontos and Ryan Tait would be the only penalty scorers for their respective sides in the first five rounds of shots forcing the shootout into sudden death. Kontos would step up once again for the Panthers scoring his second penalty shot putting the pressure on Great Britain international Josh Waller to keep the Flames in the game however Nottingham netminder Rok Stojanovik had other ideas and would shut the door on Waller in dramatic fashion to secure another win for the Panthers, allowing for the Panthers to win their first four games of the EIHL season since 2010.
After back-to-back 4 point weekends the Panthers sit comfortable at the top of their Challenge Cup group and are in a great spot to look to at least make the play-in stage of the competition but are yet to face their first league game of the season. A positive start for the black and gold however a third game in a row where they conceded with the opposition netminder pulled, it still leaves room for improvement as they face the treble winning champions, the Sheffield Steelers, next week at home.
*Article provided by Dylan Pick (Ice Hockey Correspondent).
*Main image @PanthersIHC a good weekend for Nottingham in the Challenge Cup.
