Nottingham Panthers head coach Danny Stewart spoke with reporters after his side’s stunning comeback win over the Sheffield Steelers in the Elite League playoff semi-final.
Here is every word he said.
How would you evaluate your team’s performance overall?
Well, Sheffield certainly had us on the ropes in the first period. I thought the first three or four minutes were okay, but then they got in behind us a few times, so we packed our D-zone to absorb that and we stopped closing spaces and winning battles. They’re a really good hockey team and we gave them too much space and time.
I think we were lucky to get out of that first period only down one-nothing. In the second period, we were better. Systems are one thing, but the urgency and physicality were also a lot better. When we went down by two, it would have been easy to let our heads drop but we scored that big goal and you could see the momentum that it created right until the end of the period.
Oliver Betterdige, Nottingham Panthers (Image: Dean Woolley)
In the third, we had to absorb a bit for the first few shifts, but we looked like a different team after that second goal went in. We just looked like we had a little bit more confidence and that we could relax.
Going ahead with two and a half minutes left, we didn’t give them much after that, but that crazy bounce off the boards makes it a 3-3 game.
To win championships, you need your big players to step up in big moments and Sam Herr certainly did that in overtime tonight.
How do you reflect on your first season as Nottingham Panthers head coach?
There was a big change over, with only a few guys back from last season. We started well in the [Challenge] Cup, but stumbled a bit. Stumbled is a strong word, but we weren’t quite there in terms of results. We lost a lot of close games.
We made some really key additions in [name] Garat and [Mitchell] Fossier and we’ve been playing phenomenal hockey from around that time. We’ve had guys step up, have big seasons, and it’s been a lot of fun.
This building has been electric. The off ice team has been unbelievable. I’ve really enjoyed it and it’s good to get back [to Playoff Finals Weekend]. I joked earlier with a couple of guys that it’s been a while since I’ve been here. While I was thrilled that we beat Guildford [in the quarter-finals], it brough back some memories of the past and upset me a little bit that I hadn’t been able to get teams here in recent years.
It means a lot getting here and getting into the final.
How will you approach the next day, with a championship final to play on Sunday?
First and foremost, the players just have to get the essential fluids, food, and rest in them. Sometimes it’s tough for the players to switch off after an emotional win like that, but it mirrors a regular-season weekend with a double at home. It’s fortunate for us that guys get to sleep in their own beds and they’ll do their own thing in the morning.
We’ll bring them in for a pre-scout before the game and get ready for the final. It’s a quick turnaround, but it’s nothing these guys aren’t used to.
Related:
- Aaron Fox ‘hurt’ after Steelers suffer shock playoff semi-final defeat
- Adam Keefe: I’ll take full responsibility for playoff semi-final defeat
- Cardiff Devils stun Belfast Giants, advance to Elite League Playoff Final
- Pete Russell: ‘If we’re dialled, we have a chance in the final
- Nottingham Panthers overturn two-goal deficit, eliminate Sheffield Steelers from playoffs
