Having seen the Coventry Blaze stranded in Belfast by Storm Ashley after their game on Saturday, the Belfast Giants will no doubt have wished the same had happened to them as their special teams had a rough afternoon in a heavy 5-1 defeat in Nottingham.
The Panthers struck three times on the powerplay and added a penalty shot, too, as the Giants went 3-for-6 on the penalty kill and 0-for-5 on the powerplay and failed to capitalise on a lopsided shot count in their favour to drop both games in the weekend after losing 6-4 to the Blaze on home ice on Saturday.
Despite out-shooting their hosts to the eye-watering tune of 51-36, the Giants could only beat Ryan Bednard once through Ben Lake’s second period goal but, with the game still in the balance midway through the third period, they ran into penalty trouble and the game subsequently ran away from them.
With Pierre-Olivier Morin already in the box for slashing, Ben Lake would join him for a hooking call and then Grant Mismash followed for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and in the space of 37 seconds the Panthers would strike twice, Tim Doherty and Sam Herr both beating Jackson Whistle – 31 saves – to seal the deal.
And it was a costly game in more ways than one as not only did the Giants make it three losses in their last four games but they also lost Kyle Osterberg to a nasty looking injury with the final play of the game, the winger cross-checked into the boards by Joshua Tetlow, who was ejected, and having to be helped off the ice.
Having started the Elite League campaign quite strongly, the Giants are now 2-2-1 on the early season and already nine points behind the Cardiff Devils who, admittedly, have played three games more.
But more concerningly is how the Giants dominated for the majority of the game and still managed to come out on the wrong side of the scoreline, similarly to how they were the better side against the Blaze a day earlier but just could not find a way to convert that into points.
Adam Keefe’s side were two down at the first intermission as a double-minor on J.J. Piccinich for high-sticking led to Hugo Roy going shortside on Jackson Whistle from the right circle at 7:28 and then a Bo Hanson slash on Didrik Henbrant as he skated in on Whistle led to Kristoff Kontos going five-hole on the penalty shot.
The Giants would miss their first two powerplay chances as Henbrant (high-sticking) and Zsombor Garát (interference) both sat before Lake did get them on the board at 32:18 when he finished from the left circle following Josh Roach’s faked shot and pass, but another two powerplay opportunities would go by as Matt Alfaro (hooking) and Otto Nieminen (interference) spent time in the box.
Instead, where the Giants failed, the Panthers excelled. Morin’s slashing call was dubious but when Lake and Mismash joined him, the home side were lethal, Doherty snapping in the one-timer from the tight angle at 52:29 on the 5-on-3 powerplay and then Herr finishing in close at 53:06 for the second on the same powerplay.
That killed the game off, with Reid Stefanson – who had earlier hit the crossbar for Nottingham – adding an empty netter with 3:26 remaining as the Giants desperately sought a late comeback that would never come.
Although the game would end in grim circumstances as a needless play from Tetlow left Osterberg prone on the ice and needing medical assistance before being helped back to the locker room. Tetlow would be ejected and is likely awaiting a lengthy ban but it would prove to be the last act of a damaging afternoon at the Motorpoint Arena.