Panthers stay top with win in Dundee

Photo: Derek Black

Nottingham Panthers stayed top of the Elite League with a 4-3 road win over Dundee Stars on Sunday night.

Nottingham opened the scoring early at 01:30, as Chase Pearson forced a turnover along the wall and fed Matt Marcinew in the slot who redirected the puck past Jarrett Fiske.

The remainder of the opening period was firmly in favour of the Panthers, outshooting the Stars 11:7 and forcing Fiske to make a number of quality saves. Just as it seemed the score would remain 1-0 heading into the first intermission, a late penalty against Dundee gave the visitors the first powerplay of the night. Ross Armour converted at 19:30, scoring his fourth goal in twenty-four hours with a backhand shot over the Stars’ netminder to make it 2-0.

Hampus Olsson got Dundee on the board at 24:06, the lone goal of the second period. Despite Jason Grande making an initial save on a shot from the left wall, Kameron Kielly was first to the puck behind the Nottingham net, where he sent a pass to Olsson on the doorstep who fired it home.

Zsombor Garát restored the Panthers’ two goal lead at 46:18, sending a shot from the point through traffic past Fiske to make it 3-1.

Olsson carried the puck over the blueline, and fed Otto Nieminen in the high slot who fired a slapshot past Grande to pull a goal back for the Stars at 54:18. 

A stretch pass from the Nottingham zone found an accelerating Matt Alfaro, with the Panthers’ captain breaking into the Dundee zone and firing a wrist shot past Fiske for his first goal of the season at 57:40.

The Stars once again made it a one-goal game, this time through Morten Jurgens who fired home a rebound after Grande made an initial pad save at 59:04. 

Despite a late surge from Dundee, including a brief powerplay opportunity, the Panthers held on to secure a four point weekend and a sixth consecutive victory.