The Nottingham Panthers emerged as comfortable winners in a 5-2 game at the Hull Arena.
The Stingrays, buoyed by finally possessing a full quota of players, started off in woeful fashion. The away side stunned the Hull Arena by striking twice inside 2 minutes. The first goal was care of Bruce Richardson at 1:38, and the second a clinical finish from Cameron Mann, just 17 seconds later at 1:55.
In response, the Stingrays battled hard, knowing the huge challenge that they faced after such a catastrophic start. The game became a chippy affair, with tensions boiling over at 14:08. Stingrays' player coach Sylvain Cloutier stepped in after a Bruce Richardson hit, and a coming together of both players ensued. Panthers' forward Marc Levers 'face washed' Stingrays' Lee Mitchell, who both dropped the gloves and exchanged punches. Both players received 5 minute penalties for fighting.
For the rest of the period, the Stingrays managed to hold firm against a clearly talented Nottingham side. The away side outshot the Stingrays 11 to 7 in the first period.
Unfortunately for the home side, the second period was to begin in similar fashion to the second period. Bruce Richardson fired his second goal past Sandahl, after excellent work from the league's top points scorer, Jade Galbraith.
The Panthers allowed the Stingrays back into the game, conceding a string of minor penalties. The home side took advantage of their opportunities, and had pulled back 2 goals after 37 minutes. Lee Mitchell scored both (at 31:06 and 36:33), finishing off well-worked powerplay moves. This clearly lifted the spirits of the home side, with coach Cloutier geeing up the crowd.
In the third period, the Panthers appeared to tighten up their defensive game, and reduced the number of goalscoring chances like the Stingrays enjoyed in the second period. The final nail in the Stingrays' coffin was hammered in at 49.39, when Panthers defenceman Dominic D'amour struck a powerful slapshot, leaving Stingrays' keeper Sandahl with no chance. To further condemn the home side, Adam Knight was penalised for attempted spearing, receiving 2+2+10. This effectively killed off any hopes of a Stingrays comeback, and Panthers' forward Sean Mcaslan rounded off the evening's scoring on the powerplay, finishing high on Sandahl from an acute angle at 51:03.
Stingrays Stats
Stats: L Mitchell 2+0, Halkidis, Silverthorn, Knight, Cloutier 0+1
Sandahl: 34 shots, 5 goals conceded
PIM: 27-19
SOG: 34-27
Good
An excellent performance from Lee Mitchell, who appears to be fully fit and hungry for goals. An improved game from Cloutier, who made some nice touches and showed he really cares about his team by standing up for them. An improved powerplay performance, with 2 goals from 7 powerplay opportunities.
Bad
A shocking start to the first and second periods, leaving the team with an uphill struggle. Niggling defensive errors still remain prevalent.
F Block Blog MOM
Stingrays: Lee Mitchell (2+0) There could be no other choice for man of the match. Worked immensely hard as always, and proved dangerous on the powerplay with 2 quick-fire goals to give the Stingrays hope. The Scottish forward also showed he was prepared to stand up for himself, fighting Panthers' Marc Levers in the first period.
Panthers: Dominic D'amour (1+1) Whilst fellow Canadian Bruce Richardson may receive the plaudits for his 2 goals, F Block Blog decided that D'amour was also deserving of credit. A solid defensive performance was rounded off with a rocket of a slapshot in the 3rd period to kill off the game. His size, skill and nasty streak all proved to be valuable attributes in this game.
Stingrays Verdict: 6/10
Had the Stingrays got out of the blocks quicker in this game, it could have been so very different. The team showed moments of promise, but were ultimately outplayed.
Solid performances of note came from Lee Mitchell, Sylvain Cloutier, George Halkidis and Stephen Burns. The overall performance of the team was reasonable, and it was apparent that effort was there from all players.
Nottingham's performance reflected their superiority over the Stingrays in the league standings, and deserved the win. If the Stingrays are to reach the mid-table promised land, they will have to start picking up points at home, even from top teams such as the Panthers.
Cloutier's Comments
“It was a bad start but we battled back into the game and if Silver’s shot had gone in it could have been a different game. I am very disappointed. I thought we played a decent game.
“They have an all-star line-up and they have put a good team together and you have to give them credit. But we are just as good as they are when we play five-on-five and disciplined hockey and not make those little mistakes. Tomorrow [against Coventry Blaze] is a big game for us, we need to rebound or it’s going to be a long week.”
