Panthers win goal-fest in Glasgow

Photo: Al Goold

Glasgow Clan and Nottingham Panthers split 12 goals in 60 minutes before the Panthers made it a four-point weekend with a shootout win - their second game of the weekend that went into bonus time.

Clan were ahead early as they went after their first win of the league season, returning captain Dyson Stevenson beating Rok Stojanovič in the slot with 3:51 played. The Panthers were level at 10:51 after a giveaway by the Clan in their own zone, and Adam Johnson getting onto an Otto Nieminen pass in front. Clan challenge the goal for goalie interference lifting Jake Kielly's stick, but the review angles appeared to show it was Cody Sol who initiated Nieminen's contact. Mathieu Lemay struck 76 seconds before the end of the period to put the visitors ahead. 

Josh Tetlow was penalised for firing the puck out of bounds at 32:08, and Clan made the powerplay count with Philippe Sanche shooting past an excellent Luke Lynch screen in front of Stojanovič. The Panthers, however, again got timely scoring before the end of a period.Myles McGurty beautifully re-directed Hugo Roy's pass beyond Kielly with 1:17 left in the second.

Period three was not for the faint-hearted. Darien Craighead tied the game off an excellent pass from Jordan Buesa across the slot with 3:37 played, but only 1:21 later Clan gave the puck away and Nieminen was allowed too much time to shoot through a screen - McGurty getting the final touch past Kielly. 29 seconds later, Gary Haden went for a wrap-around on Stojanovič and batted home his own rebound to make it 4-4, but again Clan were caught in their own end which allowed Mathieu Lemay to add his second of the night 22 seconds after, putting the Panthers 5-4 up. Mike Pelech scored another wrap-around on Stojanovič with 49:08 to tie things up again and bring an end to five goals in under six minutes.

With 7:33 to play, a x throw into the corner bounced fortunately to the on-rushing Lemay in front to complete his hat trick, but it was another lead the visitors were unable to hold. Nice hold up play form Pelech put the puck into Jordan Cownie in the slot and he deked Stojanovič to tie the game at six each. That was where the scoring ended in regulation.

Nate Kallen could, and probably should, have won it for the hosts early in overtime but missed the target off a pass across the crease from Craighead, while Haden hit the post on the next play. Hugo Roy rang a shot off the pipes at the other end, and with 35 seconds remaining Cownie couldn't win it for Clan on a breakaway meaning the bonus point was to be decided in a shootout. Alexander Lunsjo scored in round two, and with no goals for Clan Roy settled it for the Panthers.