Sheffield Steelers next, go on then!!

Danny Stewart’s Nottingham Panthers will face rivals, Sheffield Steelers, in the semi-final of this season’s Elite League play-offs, this coming Saturday evening, at the Motorpoint Arena.

In the other semi-final Belfast Giants face Cardiff Devils, in the earlier match; the Panthers, they overturned a first leg, 3-2 deficit, at Guildford Flames, storming to a 6-3 home win (8-6 aggregate) in front of a raucous, Panthers Nation.

PLAY-OFF QUARTER-FINAL FIRST LEG (Flames 3 Panthers 2)

On Saturday, at the Spectrum Leisure Complex, the Panthers found themselves narrowly edged out by their hosts, they having opened and closed the scoring a tight contest.

Joe Jacome opened the scoring for the Flames after just three-and-a-half-minutes, it taking close to fifteen minutes for the Panthers to level, Tim Doherty latching on to a pass from Mitch Fossier (16:21) to fire past Eamon McAdam.

The Panthers then created numerous chances in the second period before Fossier, and Cooper Zech, combined nicely to set up Doherty for his second of the tie, firing a wrist-shot past McAdam (34:02), but the hosts levelled a minute-and-a-half later through Daniel Tedesco’s forehand-backhand effort.

It would be hosts who’d take a slender advantage into the second leg when, late in the third period after a mis-cued shot from Auston Glover fell kindly for Ethan Strang, and he netted the hosts’ third of the night.

PLAY-OFF QUARTER-FINAL SECOND LEG (Panthers 6 Flames 3; Panthers win 8-6 on aggregate)

The following night, at a sold-out Motorpoint Arena (the thirteenth time this season the Panthers Nation have sold out their home venue), the Panthers, and Mitch Fossier, with a hat-trick, turned on the style, to book a place in the semi-finals.

Trailing by one from the first leg, that deficit was overturned inside four minutes of the home second leg, Davis Bunz (1:43) and Fossier’s first of the night (3:36) putting the Panthers 2-0 up on the night, and 4-3 on aggregate.

Then came the excitement of the evening’s second period, as both sides went for it, hammer-and-tong; Flames re-took the aggregate lead just after the half-hour mark, and levelling the game on the night, through Strang (27:35) and Brett Welijchka (31:01), before a burst from the hosts effectively doused the Flames.

A 3-on-2 charge led to Hugo Roy (36:07) netting his own rebound, then, just forty-four seconds later, Fossier netted his second of the night (36:51) as the Panthers regained the lead going into the decisive third.

The action continued then also, neither side letting up with a place in the semis on the line; Fossier was first to score (46:48) though, giving the Panthers a two-score advantage with a sweet penalty-shot to complete his hat-trick, before Brett Ferguson netted again for the Flames (48:56) to keep them in with a shout.

Matt Spencer killed off the contest at the death however, with the Flames lifting netminder McAdam for the extra skater, and he firing home, from his own zone, the hosts’ sixth of the night, with seconds remaining.

WHAT’S NEXT

Victory for the Panthers has set up a tie with the Steelers, who reached the final four when edging Glasgow Clan in OT for a 5-4 aggregate victory, Peter Watling with the decisive score; on the other side of the play-offs, the Giants defeated Dundee Stars 8-3 on aggregate, whilst the Devils beat Coventry Blaze by the same score.

This Saturday evening (19 April, 19:00), the Panthers and the Steelers will meet for the ninth time this season, both having won four apiece, and the Panthers outscoring their rivals by one, 23-22; the winners of that contest will face either Belfast Giants, or Cardiff Devils, in the play-off final, the following night.

For continued information on the Nottingham Panthers, visit their website HERE

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @PanthersIHC action from the weekend as Panthers win over two legs v Guildford.