Panthers on song for fifth successive home win
NOTTINGHAM Panthers produced a scintillating performance to record a 5-1 victory over Belfast Giants at a noisy Motorpoint Arena.
Mathieu Lemay scored twice and Logan Neilson continued his scoring streak with a sixth goal in successive matches.
The Panthers were without Ollie Betteridge and Tyler Welsh, while Westin Michaud also missed out because of injury (upper body).
Rok Stojanovic started between the pipes, with British netminder Luca Sheldon as back-up.
Panthers took an early lead when
Otto Nieminen fed Hugo Roy down the right and he cut inside to fire across Tyler Beskorowany (3:01).
Carl Neill set up Lemay for a one-timer from left-point on the powerplay (13:58), before Nieminen forced a turnover and provided the pass for Neilson in the slot to score his sixth goal in six matches (18:04).
Giants made a change in net with Jackson Whistle replacing Beskorowany at the start of the second period.
Félix Paré dropped the gloves with Belfast defenceman Jacob Friend for a feisty start to the session, before Blake Speers reduced the deficit for the Giants on the powerplay with a one-timer from the top of the left-circle (22:44).
Panthers killed off a succession of penalties with Stojanovic making good stops to deny Friend and Josh Roach.
Shortly after returning to fullstrength, Lemay scored his second of the night – and 22nd of the season – as he fed the puck towards the crease and it deflected in off a Giants defenceman (37:52).
A quick break by the Panthers saw Jordan Kelsall feeding Anthony Luciani in the centre, who beat Whistle with a neat forehand-backhand move (49:35).
At the other end, Stojanovic continued to impress and denied Ciaran Long twice in quick succession.
The loud and passionate Motorpoint Arena crowd cheered down the clock as Panthers secured a fifth successive home victory.