For the third time in four years the Challenge Cup Final will be hosted at the SSE Arena as the Belfast Giants set up a March 12 meeting with the Cardiff Devils, although they left things rather too close for comfort against the Nottingham Panthers in their Semi-Final at the Motorpoint Arena.
Up 3-0 after the first leg, Adam Keefe’s side needed to hold on in the third period after Zsombor Garát’s powerplay goal 12:17 into the second period breathed life into the tie, and when Cooper Zech struck 37 seconds into the final frame it reduced the deficit to just one.
But fortunately for the Giants, history was not to repeat itself as they avoided the same fate as the 2014 team that were beaten in a shoot-out after taking a three-goal first-leg lead into Nottingham as their short-benched roster, which lost Scott Conway in the warm-up and Elijiah Barriga at the end of the first period having taken a skate to the face, collapsed around netminder Jackson Whistle and defended the net with some heroic blocks, particularly at the death.
And that ensured they will be the ones hosting the Cup Final in two weeks’ time despite being shut-out for the first time this season — Panthers goaltender Jason Grande keeping a 32-save clean sheet — in what will be a remarkable night at the SSE Arena.
The Giants will start that game as favourites, not just as hosts or the fact that they are the Elite League leaders but also because they have won all five meetings between the two sides so far this season, including both games of their double-header at the weekend by an aggregate score of 10-1.
Then again, form tends to go out the window in a one-off game, and with the Devils all but out of the League title race, it allows them to put all their focus on the Cup Final in the build-up.
Belfast Giants netminder Jackson Whistle held firm against the Nottingham Panthers
And speaking of the Devils, it was a doubly good night for the Giants as not only did they book their passage into the Cup decider but they also saw their five-point lead at the top of the League standings maintained as the Devils picked up a 6-2 win over the second-placed Sheffield Steelers, with Keefe’s side now having a game in hand over their rivals.
But first and foremost was the Cup bid and, in that regard, the Giants did just enough to secure their meeting with Cardiff in a fortnight and, on another night, they could have had the tie wrapped up in the first period alone as they dominated possession and chances, limiting the Panthers to just five shots but unable to convert on any of the 15 they themselves put on Grande.
Mark Cooper had the best chance when he was found in the slot by Jordan Kawaguchi but he was denied by the chest of Grande, while Whistle — 27 saves — made a big stop to deny Garát in close before worrying scenes saw the period ended 29 seconds early after Barriga took a skate to the face which forced him out of the second period.
That would prove significant as the already short Giants began to struggle in the second period and when Garát got the hosts on the board with a blue-line blast on the first of three consecutive powerplays, Gabe Bast off for interference, the tide began to turn.
The visitors managed to scramble in defence on subsequent calls against David Goodwin (hooking) and Ben Lake (slashing), with Whistle making an excellent stop on a loose puck in the crease, to get to the second intermission, but Zech would raise the intensity when he gave the Panthers an early third period boost as he smashed in a rebound from the left circle with just over half a minute elapsed.
However, that was as close as Nottingham got. The home side had their chances but Whistle, aided by some selfless blocks in front, managed to keep them out even with Grande pulled for the extra skater at the death, and the Giants move one game away from their first trophy of the season.