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Sun 13 Apr 2025 - 7:30PM

PANTHERS ARE GOING TO PLAYOFF FINALS WEEKEND!

PANTHERS ARE GOING TO PLAYOFF FINALS WEEKEND! Top Image

Nottingham Panthers booked their place at the Elite League Playoff Finals Weekend with 6-3 victory over Guildford Flames for an 8-6 aggregate success.

Mitch Fossier scored a hat-trick on a famous Motorpoint Arena night in-front of a 13th capacity crowd of the season.

The semi-final line-up will see Panthers face arch-rivals Sheffield Steelers next Saturday (7pm) and Belfast Giants play Cardiff Devils (3pm).

Panthers were without forward Reid Stefanson because of injury. Jason Grande started between the pipes with Luca Sheldon as back-up.

Two early goals put Panthers ahead on aggregate
Panthers made the perfect start by scoring twice inside the opening four minutes, started by Davis Bunz firing home a beauty from the right-circle (01:43).

Cooper Zech fed Mitch Fossier on the right-wing to make it 2-0 on night with a sweet powerplay goal (03:36).

At the other end, Grande made a string of good saves including one to deny former Panther Brett Welychka from close-range.

Four goals in frantic second period
The visitors regained their aggregate lead with two powerplay goals in three-and-a-half minutes, as Ethan Strang scored from the right-circle (27:35) and Brett Welychka netted from close-range (31:01).

Panthers hit back with two goals in 44 seconds as the roof was lifted off the Motorpoint Arena.

Hugo Roy put away his own rebound after Panthers broke clear three-on-two (36:07) and Fossier went top-shelf from the right-circle for his second of the night (36:51).

We're going to Finals Weekend!
Grande made a superb save to deny Daniel Catenacci and at the other end, Kristoff Kontos, Ollie Betteridge and Sam Herr went close in quick succession.

Fossier completed his treble with a sweetly-taken penalty-shot (46:48), but Guildford netted their third powerplay goal of the night through Brett Ferguson's tip (48:56).

Panthers booked their place in the final four as Matt Spencer scored from his own zone into an empty net with Eamon McAdam lifted for the extra skater (59:45).

Captain Sam Herr received a special ovation on his final home game as a Panther before he retires from professional hockey at the end of the season.

What a night #PanthersNation!