Panthers snap streak with OT win over rivals

Photo: Panthers Images

Nottingham Panthers ended a run of three straight losses with an overtime win over rivals Sheffield Steelers in the Premier Sports Challenge Cup. 

Quick hands from Jeremy Welsh on a broken play put the Panthers ahead with 10:54 played at the Motorpoint Arena. The Steelers' powerplay was a threat all game and got the visitors level 3:37 into period two as an inch-perfect pass from Sebastian Piché found Brett Neumann for the back-post one-timer. 

Matt Greenfield stopped an Andrew Johnson penalty shot with 7:34 to play in period two.

The visitors' dominance with the extra skater eventually paid off again with a laser from Piché flying past the impressive Alex Dubeau at 49:46 to put Sheffield ahead. 67 seconds later, however, Welsh was the beneficiary of an excellent Brett Welychka pass to tie the game up again. The home side killed off a 5-on-3 shorthanded for some 90 seconds in the closing stages before having a late powerplay chance to win it, but the game was to be decided in overtime.

The Steelers missed a couple of excellent chances to take the extra point but were eventually undone by another Welychka pass to set up Adam Brady for the OT winner with 63:29 on the clock.