Photograph of GMB Nottingham Panthers player-coach Corey Neilson in Sunday's clash with the LBM Belfast Giants at the Odyssey courtsey of kingdomofthegiants.com.

Last Friday night saw the LBM Belfast Giants take on the Nottingham Panthers in the first of the weekend’s two games at the Odyssey Arena. The Giants played short of Brandon Benedict and Steve Thornton. The Nottingham Panthers brought a lot of fans for the double header weekend, creating a lot of noise for both teams.

The game got off to a slow start, with end to end play for the first few minutes. The Giants were first to go on the powerplay, as the Panthers watched Jade Galbraith go to the box for cross checking. The Giants’ powerplay hasn’t been the best for the past few weeks, with a lot of passing, but a severe lack of shooting. They repeated this display again, with most shots hit being off target.

The Giants were quick to have a man sent to the bin, with Shane Johnson sitting for tripping. This was quickly cancelled out as Panthers’ player/coach Corey Neilson sat for interference. This left the play at 4-on-4 and moved on to a Giants powerplay. The Panthers played with their usual 3 man defence and a high forward. The high forward got a pass in the neutral zone, giving him a breakaway. The initial shot was saved, as well as the rebound.

As Jeff Szwez and David Clarke exchanged fists at the blue line, the play went 4-on-4 again. The Giants had a few chances, but just after the 4-on-4, the Panthers managed to add the first of the night, just 6 seconds before the end of the period. A giveaway by Pierre-Luc Faubert at the Giants blue line left the puck with Galbraith for a pass to Richardson in the corner. A pass across the slot to McAslan left Stephen Murphy on the ice in the Giants net, giving McAslan an easy, high shot into the net, at 19:54. This left the period at 1-0 in favour of the Panthers.

The Giants were quick to go on the powerplay in the second period, as Nick Toneys sat for interference. The Giants managed to add an equalising, powerplay goal at 22:28. Play in the Panthers’ zone left the puck with one of the Panthers’ forwards. A takeaway by Szwez in the zone left a pass to Faubert at the point. A pass across the blue line to Michael Jacobsen left a shooting lane for a slapshot on St. Pierre in the Panthers’ net, with the puck sliding in past his left pad.

The Panthers were quick to answer, just 53 seconds later, at 23:21. The play came into the Giants’ zone. A pass from Galbraith to Clarke left a shot from the circle past Murphy’s shoulder, with Neilson also picking up an assist.

The Giants went on to pick up another penalty, as well as a powerplay opportunity, with nothing solid coming of it. The Giants equalised again just before the end of the period, at 38:06. A pass from Colin Shields behind the net to Szwez in front left a shot. The shot rebounded off St. Pierre’s pad, leaving him out of position for a shot from Faubert, finding its way past him.

Just before the end of the period, the Giants went shorthanded, as Evan Cheverie picked up a hooking penalty. The period finished 2-2.

The Giants started the third period off on the penalty kill. With a penalty filled period, the Giants managed to pick up another powerplay goal, at 53:33. A pass from the slot by Jacobsen to Shields in the circle left a shooting lane. The shot was deflected off St. Pierre’s pad onto Szwez’s stick for an easy goal.

With just 1:15 left in the period, the Panthers pulled their goalie for the extra player in search of an equalising goal. This gave Pat Bateman the chance to pick up an empty net goal, at 59:07. A takeaway in the neutral zone left a clear skate into the net, scoring with a tap over the goal line.

Just before the end of the period, at 59:33, Panther Bruce Richardson tried to throw his weight around, with Tim Cook also involved in the tussle. Richardson picked up a 2+2 for roughing and a slashing penalty, while Cook picked up a cross checking and roughing penalty.

The game finished 4-2 in favour of the Giants, with both netminders picking up man of the match – Kevin St. Pierre and Stephen Murphy.