Wed 26 Mar 2025 - 9:56PM
26TH MARCH 2025: PANTHERS 5-2 STORM
🎟 CLICK HERE TO BUY NOTTINGHAM PANTHERS TICKETS 🎟
Nottingham Panthers moved up to second in the Elite League table with a 5-2 victory over Manchester Storm at the Motorpoint Arena.
Panthers are now on 72 points and remain two points behind leaders Belfast Giants who beat Fife Flyers 10-4 at the SSE Arena.
Reid Stefanson returned to the line-up but Otto Nieminen missed out as he continues his recovery from a lower body injury.
Fossier on target in even first period
Grande made a good early save to deny Stephen Johnson and at the other end, Matt Alfaro shot just wide from the slot.
Josh Tetlow and Alfaro combined to set-up Mitch Fossier to score with a neat finish from the right-circle to put Panthers ahead (10:47).
The visitors equalised on the powerplay when Joe Morrow buried the puck from close range following a huge goalmouth scramble (15:44).
Herr scores twice as Panthers take two-goal lead
Captain Sam Herr scored his 34th goal of the season when he put away his own rebound to put Panthers back ahead early in the second session (20:59).
But Manchester hit back, once again with the man advabtage, as Alexis D'Aoust went top-shelf from the right-circle (30:07).
Panthers scored twice in 75 seconds to take a two-goal lead to the second intermission as Herr tipped-in a shot by Davis Bunz on the powerplay (33:59) and Fossier fed the on-rushing Cooper Zech in the slot (35:14).
Two vital points secured for Panthers
Grande made two good close-range saves before Tim Doherty made it 5-2 when he scored from the left-circle during a spell of four-on-four (49:48)
Storm pushed for a way back into the game but Grande was once again on top form and made three impressive late saves including one to deny Chase Harrison.
Belfast next at home on Sunday 6th April
Panthers take to the road on Saturday to face Guildford Flames and are in Northern Ireland to go head-to-head with Belfast Giants the following Saturday (5th April).
As of tonight (Wednesday), there's just a handful of tickets left for the final game of the regular season against the Giants on Sunday 6th April with face-off at the later time of 5:30pm.
Snap up those tickets asap before they're all gone and be part of the #PanthersNation. It's set to be a HUGE night!