The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Panthers level late on, but Stars win it in overtime
Dundee open three-game trip south with victory
Stars returned to winning ways with an overtime victory over Panthers, as they picked up Elite League points in an eighth straight game.
Dundee were at full strength while Nottingham were without Jon Rheault, Sam Gospel and Kevin Henderson
Stars fell behind early on as Alexander Guptill found Justin Kovacs and he finished into the gaping net after just two minutes.
Stars went straight back on the attack and forced a good save from Michael Garnett but the Panthers goalie held on.
The visitors quickly tied the game up in the seventh minute as Fabrizio Ricci’s shot flew past Garnett.
Tim Billingsley was penalised for cross-checking in the 10th minute but the visitors were unable to capitalise. They went close but Jordan Cownie’s shot was stopped by the glove of Garnett.
The home team took another penalty as Robert Farmer was punished for interference in the 16th minute. Again, Rich Chernomaz’s side killed off the twominute penalty before Guptill tested Dundee netminder Pontus Sjogren.
Inside the opening two minutes of the second stanza, Matt Marquardt beat Garnett to give Stars the lead and Dundee looked to quickly build on their lead as Lukas Lundvald went close but his shot was kept out by Garnett.
Sjogren kept his side in front with a good save from Farmer before the Nottingham forward returned to the sin bin on a cross-checking call.
Stars put the puck in the net but it was ruled out immediately by referees Tom Pering and Andrew Miller before a video review backed up the decision.
Sjogren made another good save to deny Guptill again after Nottingham got forward on a two-on-one break.
However, moments later, Guptill finally beat the Dundee goaltender to tie the game at 2-2 in the 36th minute.
The score was not level for long, though, as Marek Tvrdon struck the Dundee goal frame before Stars re-took the lead through Francois Bouchard in the 38th minute.
Omar Pacha’s men held on to the lead going into the final break and both sides missed powerplay chances before Nottingham equalised in the 57th minute. Sjogren made the first save on Guptill’s shot but the puck fell to Kovacs and he lifted it over the Stars keeper.
Overtime was required and Dundee were handed a huge chance to win the game as Guillaume Lepine received a two-minute penalty for tripping. He also picked up a five-minute and game misconduct penalty for spearing.
The visitors’ powerplay needed to click and it did, Marquardt sending the puck past Garnett for his second of the night nine seconds into the powerplay.
Dundee now travel to Milton Keynes for their second game of the weekend with a league fixture against Lightning tonight before they visit Coventry Blaze tomorrow.