Nottingham Panthers 4-5 Excel Hull Stingrays (After Shootout)
The Excel Hull Stingrays tonight completed a sensational four point weekend over two of the top teams in the country as they followed up last night's 7-2 success over the Sheffield Steelers with a 5-4 shootout victory over the Nottingham Panthers at the Trent FM Arena.
The Panthers headed into the game on the back of a tough loss in Coventry in which a line brawl cost them their number one netminder Craig Kowalski, who is expected to be out for a number of weeks with a groin injury.
Nevertheless, starting experienced backup Dan Green the home Panthers took advantage of the continually slow starting Stingrays, netting through Rob Bellamy after just 46 seconds. They barraged Christian Boucher's net with 50 shots over the course of the 65 minutes but it was the opening ten that Corey Neilson's side were at their most dangerous.
However, with that opening flurry of activity largely weathered, the Stingrays equalised on the powerplay from the stick of coach Sylvain Cloutier on 12 minutes sending the teams in level at the first intermission.
Cloutier's side opened the scoring four minutes and 48 seconds into the second as Trevor Read bagged just his second of the year on a feed from Drew Bannister, who recorded his first point in a Stingrays jersey.
The Panthers hit back 34 seconds later though with Jade Galbraith netting his first of the night before the adding a second three minutes later to put the home side in the lead once again.
Importantly, 28 seconds before the end of the second the Stingrays Jereme Tendler scored his 21st of the year and fourth of the weekend, on the powerplay, to once again level the scores heading into the final stanza.
Again Corey Neilson's side came out the stronger, taking the lead for the third and final time through Marc Levers but the plucky Stingrays responded with their third powerplay goal of the night through Andrew Coburn to tie the score at four and guarantee both sides at least point.
A scoreless overtime period ensued before shootout goals from Konstantin Kalmikov, Jason Silverthorn and Bannister, coupled with two Nottingham misses, handed the Rays a fantastic extra point to complete a well deserved and unforgettable four point weekend.
The weekend could be looked upon as one of the biggest and best in the Stingrays short Elite League history. Rarely, if ever have they easily dispatched one of the top four at home before heading away to beat another of the top four, and that is exactly what they have achieved this weekend.
The crushing 12-0 embarrassment in Cardiff is now a distant memory. Indeed, that result may have done the club well in the long term, with the addition of player-assistant coach Drew Bannister likely another huge factor in the change in fortunes.
The club's week-on-week consistency will again be under scrutiny next weekend as they face an away double header. On Saturday they travel to ownership rivals Coventry before heading all the way up to in-form Dundee, who are the only Elite League side that the Rays have yet to beat this year, on Sunday.
