Giants 4 Panthers 6

After a disappointing defeat on the road to Sheffield, the Belfast Giants were looking to get back to their winning ways back at home in the Kingdom. For 50 minutes, it looked promising, but then Mark Cadotte put a spanner in the works ...

Nottingham travelled to Belfast without a first choice netminder, after Niklas Sundberg injured himself in last night's game, so the duties were left to back-up, Geoff Woolhouse. The Nottingham defence stepped up a gear to compensate, but some quality saves earned Woolhouse a deserved MoM award at the end of the 60 minutes.

The first period was scoreless with Giants best chance seeing Curt Bowen one on one with the Panthers' keeper, only to be denied. The home side did themselves no favours either with Kelman and Schulte sitting in the box for 6 minutes of the period.

The goal drought turned into a flood in the second period, with no less than 7 goals being traded between the sides. Craighead opened for the visitors, 21 seconds in. Giants replied in kind as Curt Bowen made amends for his earlier missed chance assisted by Stewart at 23.18, while Jason Ruff doubled the tally 15 seconds later. Panthers called a time-out to regroup, but lost their captain, Briane Thompson on a Game Misconduct call at 24.12.

Nottingham managed to change their fortunes despite having Stancok sitting out an interference penalty in the twenty sixth minute, with a short-handed goal courtesy of David Struch when the Giants' defence failed to follow through the clearance on Cadotte's initial run on goal. The Giants fought back again, on the same powerplay and Shane Johnson scored a well worked goal when Kelman found him in space in front of the Panthers' goalcrease.

In a period that just didn't want to end, Mikko Koivunoro drew the Panthers level again at 38.09, but (sometime player of the month) Colin Ward fired home Giants' fourth of the period to restore the goal advantage.

Belfast had the early opportunites of the final period, but a two minute powerplay came and went before further woe was added with Morrison taking ten minutes out for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Enter Mark Cadotte. Cadotte made it 4-4 entering the final ten minutes, and he put his team further ahead at 56.45. Belfast thought they had a plan, calling a time-out with just over a minute to go, but they forgot how to use the extra man advantage, and Cadotte stretched the scoreline with an empty netter, to flatter the visitors a little, with 4-6 final scoreline.

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