Panthers stay in title hunt with four-point weekend

Photo: Panthers Images

A country night to remember saw Nottingham Panthers beat Fife Flyers 9-3 on Sunday afternoon, completing another four-point weekend for the hosts.

Michael Cichy almost gave the Flyers an early lead when the puck came to him off a lucky bounce, but he shot just wide.

 Just three seconds into a Patrick Kyte slashing minor, Hugo Roy let rip from the high slot off a faceoff win to put the Panthers ahead at 4:08.

On their second powerplay of the night, David Bunz fed Kris Kontos for a shot just over the glove of Janis Voris to double the home side’s lead with 7:35 played. Voris pulled off two excellent glove saves to prevent the Panthers going further ahead, the latter of Bunz a sure candidate for Save of the Week.

Roy had too much time and space to pick his spot past Voris to make it 3-0 on the 11-minute mark, Matt Spencer’s shot from just inside the blue line went all the way through to make it 4-0 with a nice screen from Jordan Kelsall at 16:29.

Kontos added his second of the night with a back-post finish with 3 seconds left in the opening period.

Tim Doherty converted on an odd-man rush for the Panthers to make it 6-0, and it could have been more were it not for Brodie Kay intercepting on a 3-on-1 rush. Just before the 30-minute mark, the Panthers gave Jere Huhtamaa his debut in net,

Fife got on the board at 30:57 through Charles-Antoine Paiement, but David Bunz’s shot from a tight angle gave him his first of the season at 34:23.

The Flyers hit back with two goals before the buzzer. Jordy Stallard got through a crowd of players at 37:44 to make it 7-2, and then struck again at 38:20 to bring the visitors back to within four.

Quinn Wichers scored the Panthers' eighth at 45:39, followed by Doherty making it 9-3 at 51:37. Doherty had a couple of half-chances for a third but found Voris in the way.

Huhtamaa made his first big save n Panthers colours, sliding across his crease to deny Chiodo at the back post as the Flyers threatened another, while Voris denied Cooper Zech a tenth when Doherty could otherwise have shot for his hat trick.

In the end there was to be no hat trick for Doherty, but he wouldn't have minded with the Panthers taking a 9-3 win.