Sat 6 Jan 2024 - 9:45PM
6TH JANUARY 2024: PANTHERS 1-2 FLAMES
🎟 NEXT HOME GAME: SAT 20TH JAN v BELFAST (7PM) - BUY TICKETS HERE 🎟
The Nottingham Panthers were beaten 2-1 after overtime by Guildford Flames at the Motorpoint Arena.
It was yet another battling performance by a short-benched Panthers, who created 31 shots on goal, but were unable to Eamon McAdam more than once.
Ollie Betteridge, Simon Després, Austin Farley and Josh Tetlow missed out through injury, while Myles McGurty served the first game of a two-match suspension. Rok Stojanovic started between the pipes with Mike Robinson as back-up.
Roy on target in 1-1 first period
In an end-to-end first period, Stojanovic superbly saved a Patrick Bajkov breakaway before Logan Neilson and Tyler Welsh set-up Stephen Anderson but his shot hit the bar.
Panthers went ahead on a six-on-five delayed penalty when Otto Nieminen saw his shot saved but Westin Michaud slid the puck to Hugo Roy to score on the doorstep (14:00).
The visitors hit back quickly as they forced a turnover and Ben O'Connor fed Ryan Hughes whose deflected shot beat Stojanovic (16:06).
Nottingham on top in second period but no goals
Panthers dominated the second period with Anderson, Neilson and Roy all going close, while Michaud went had a good chance on the powerplay.
Mathieu Lemay and Alexander Lunsjö were denied on the doorstep - and Tyler Welsh was just unable to score on his backhand as the period came to a close.
Flames take the extra point in overtime
Lemay had a great chance for the Panthers in the third session and at the other end, Bradley Lalonde hit the post on the powerplay.
In overtime, Lemay danced his way inside from left-wing but saw his shot saved before Matt Tugnutt cut inside from the left and fired through the five-hole to secure the extra point for the visitors.
Panthers travel to Fife tomorrow
It's a road game for the Panthers tomorrow with a trip to Scotland to face Fife Flyers.
The two sides go head-to-head in Elite League action and face-off in Kirkcaldy is 5:15pm.