Capraro hat-trick helps Panthers to win
Panthers came back to Nottingham hoping to put their two losses in Rotterdam behind them.
They kicked off the Aladdin cup at home to Amiens, with an impressive 7-3 win against the french team. With Capraro picking up his first hat-trick for his new team, Weaver picking up a Gordie Howe hat trick (a goal, an assist and a fight), Boxill being thrown out the game for kneeing and Ryan going to hospital for an x ray after picking up a wrist injury (luckily there was no fracture or break), this exhibition game was full of action from start to finish.
Amiens started the stronger of the two teams and almost took the lead in the third minute, but Kowalski saved Bouchard’s
Panthers still playing Benedict on defence, while waiting for Werner to arrive, slowly managed to work their way out into the neutral zone, hard work on the boards behind the Amiens net by Clarke, saw the first penalty of the game called on the visitors.
Salters and Murray worked well together, but the best effort of the power-play was kicked away. 11 minutes gone in the first period, panthers on the penalty kill with Norton in the box for hooking, were then down to 3 men when he was soon joined by Weaver. Having Taken exception to a late check, weaver dropped the gloves with Mathias Arnaud, both picking up majors for fighting.
Against the run of play Panthers got themselves on the board with just 8 seconds of the period remaining. Boxill got the final touch as the puck was heading towards goal.
Amiens started the better in the second period and when they got the chance they took it with an odd man break, this saw panthers penalised when temporary signing Robert Farmer was called for slashing.
Panthers were close to scoring shorthanded, when Boxill picked the puck up in centre ice. Panthers kept up the pressure and this paid off when set up by Lee, Wren scored the Panthers second with 2 minutes gone in the second period.
They could have been 3-0 up within minutes on a shorthanded breakaway, with Murray sat out for hooking, Lachowicz was given a penalty shot when he was tugged down, however he unable to convert the chance.
Amiens halved the scoreline in the 26th minute, when Valentin Claireaux on target put the puck in Kowalski’s net.
This goal seemed to lift the french team and they continued to put the pressure on Panthers, unfortunately this didn’t pay off and instead Panthers managed to score three goals in quick succession.
Panthers third goal came when great work and a shot from Capraro found Boxill in front of the net, seeing him pick up his third goal of the pre season and second of the game.
Les Gothiques had barely recovered before, Capraro this time the scorer was set up by Clarke to increase the score to 4-1 on his second attempt.
Panthers were now well and truly in control of the game and it wasn’t long before they got their fifth goal, Capraro again in the right place at the right time scored his second goal of the game when he was set up by Wren and Clarke from a tight angle.
Panthers luck seemed to change at the end of the second period, after scoring two goals and having such a good game, Boxill was kicked out of the match for kneeing.
Boxill’s penalty left the Panthers with a 5 minute penalty to kill at the beginning of the third period, it wasn’t long till Panthers found themselves down to three men when Francis picked up two minutes for slashing. Just when it seemed they had killed off the penalties, Claireaux scored his and Amiens’ second goal of the game to reduce the score to 5-3.
Panthers scored their sixth goal on the power-play in the 47th minute, weaver getting the final touch after being set up by Wren.
With 10 minutes left in the game, Capraro completed the scoring for panthers and got his hat-trick.
Amiens showed they hadn’t finished when in the the 54th minute, Bachet scored their third goal past Kowalski.