Wed 12 Apr 2023 - 5:52PM
PLAYOFF SEMI-FINAL MEMORIES: BELFAST IN 2007
🎟 PLAYOFF FINALS WEEKEND - BUY TICKETS HERE 🎟
The Nottingham Panthers and Belfast Giants have played out some thrilling playoff finals weekend moments since the start of the Elite League in 2003-04 and one that stands out in the memory is 2007.
Panthers - under the leadership of Head Coach Mike Ellis, had reached the semi-finals thanks to a breathtaking quarter-final victory over Sheffield Steelers on penalty shots.
It meant finals weekend consisted of Panthers, Giants, Cardiff Devils and Coventry Blaze.
Cardiff beat Coventry 3-2 in the afternoon game to book their place in the Grand Final, before Nottingham and Belfast took centre stage.
Mark Dutiaume gave Belfast the lead at 23:21 but Rod Stevens equalised under two minutes later (25:17).
That was the end of the scoring and so for a second successive playoff game, the Panthers would be involved in a penalty shootout.
It turned out to be an exact duplicate of the quarter-final with Trevor Gallant unable to convert, Corey Neilson and Sean McAslan scoring, and netminder Rastislav Rovnianek saving two Belfast penalty shots.
The huge Nottingham contingent in the National Ice Centre went wild and it set-up a final showdown with Cardiff which the Panthers won in a shootout too.
Nottingham face Belfast on Saturday afternoon (3pm face-off) at the Motorpoint Arena, which is followed by Sheffield Steelers against Cardiff Devils (7pm).
The Grand Final takes place at 5pm on Sunday after the third v fourth-placed game (1pm face-off).
It's the biggest and most exciting weekend of the UK ice hockey season and you can be part of it.
Tickets are still available and Panthers supporters are advised to book blocks 18 and 19 when the main allocation in 15, 16 and 17 sells-out.