Panthers v Blaze

Match Report

Nottingham Panthers beat Coventry Blaze 6-2 in the Elite League in front of another sold-out Motorpoint Arena crowd.

Panthers were without Ryan Bednard and Cooper Zech. Jason Grande started between the pipes with Luca Sheldon as back-up.

Tetlow scores first goal of season
After Grande made good early saves to deny Grayson Constable and Terrance Amorosa, the game exploded into life with three goals in just over two minutes.

Tim Doherty fed Josh Tetlow all alone in the slot to score his first goal of the season to put Panthers ahead (04:30), but Chase Gresock equalised from the right-circle (06:10).

Panthers went in front again just 26 seconds later as Mitch Fossier set-up Sam Herr for a bullet from the high-slot (06:36), before Kristoff Kontos was denied on a penalty-shot by Mat Robson after Herr was hooked on a breakaway.

No goals in second period
Kontos saw his shot saved from the slot before Tetlow and Constable dropped the gloves for a fight which was edged by the Panthers defenceman.

Nottingham dominated the rest of the period with good chances for Kontos, Otto Nieminen and Didrik Henbrant.

Blaze thought they'd equalised very late in the period with a deflected shot but after video review, the officials confirmed the buzzer had already gone.

Doherty nets twice as Panthers secure dominant victory
Tim Doherty tipped-in Panthers' third early in the third period (41:26) and scored his second of the night when he converted Henbrant's pass at the backdoor (45:28).

Mitch Fossier floated a shot through traffic that went in off the pipes to make it five (47:41) as Panthers scored three times in just over six minutes.

Zach Heintz scored from close-range for Coventry's second (53:36), before Reid Stefanson put the seal on the win for the Panthers as he converted a breakaway on his backhand (56:08).