Panthers add to Steelers' losing run

Photo: Dean Woolley

Nottingham Panthers logged a second straight win over Sheffield for the first time in league action since 2020 with a 4-2 win over the Steelers at a sold-out 9,368 crowd at the Utilita Arena.

The defeat was the Steelers' fourth in a row, while Panthers' goalie Ryan Bednard recorded his ninth win in 10 games.

Having started well and forcing the hosts into a couple of early icings with no line changes, the Panthers took the lead just over two minutes into things. An Otto Nieminen pass was swung at by Jordan Kelsall and snuck over Matt Greenfield’s pad to trickle over the line.

With 4:39 on the clock, the Steelers got caught 2-on-1 the other way and an excellent Logan Neilson pass put the puck on the stick of Ollie Betteridge to finish high past Greenfield and double the Panthers’ lead.

Sheffield came into the game and after some sustained offensive zone pressure were rewarded with their first of the game. Maxim Golod deflected Brian Diffley’s shot from the point, and was then on hand to poke home the loose back that had rolled behind Ryan Bednard.

As the opening period went on, the Panthers were lucky to stay ahead – a couple of loose pucks in and around Bednard saw some desperate clearances, one in particular from Niskala to keep the visitors ahead. Somewhat against the run of play, the puck was worked to the on-rushing Zsombor Garát who flicked the puck past Greenfield short side off the post to make it 3-1 at 17:10.

The Panthers’ two-goal lead was extended to three early in the second. A throw on net from Mitchell Fossier was deflected by Sam Herr and then off Steelers’ Finlay Ulrick before looping past Greenfield at 24:49. Sheffield brought the score back to within two again through Marc-Olivier Vallerand with just over seven minutes left in the period on the rush, but could, and perhaps should, have found themselves further behind through 40 minutes.

Sheffield kept the Panthers pinned in their zone through the opening phases of the final period but without much of a final product. Matt Spencer came to Bednard's rescue during a goal-mouth scramble in the final 10 minutes to keep the 4-2 scoreline.

Greenfield was pulled with 1:59 to play but the extra skater couldn't get them back to one behind. The Panthers killed off two penalties in the final period as the host side's powerplay struggled to get going, and the visitors held on for the 4-2 win.