Belfast Giants 1 Nottingham Panthers 5
Nationals full of exciting prospects, but can they win now?
It felt like Deja Va watching the Giants being taken apart in much the same fashion as another shambles after losing to Ayr Scottish Eagles 5-0 in a similar Change Cup Finale.
Did Giants pick the wrong day to have an off day against the rampant and devouring Nottingham Panthers? If that was the case it was the off day of all off days as the visiting Nottingham Panthers destroyed the Belfast Giants 5-1
The Panthers out played, hustled, and out thought the Stena Line Belfast Giants in a very one-sided first leg slaughter. Certainly now the Panthers have one hand firmly on the Challenge Cup for a third successive year and will most probably keep the trophy forever.
After watching this game you had to ask yourself just which of these two teams just won their last twelve games in a row? Nottingham put on a stunning display of power offense and their goalie, Craig Kowalski, effectively shut down the free-scoring Giants scoring machine whilst proving deadly in front of the opposition’s goal themselves.
Their effective fore-checks not letting the Giants settle in their own end especially from David Clarke who was on fire all night. Clarke and others chasing down every puck in Belfast’s zone disrupting any sort of flow from the Giants.
Even after a welcomed 5 on 3 Giant power play opportunity after the Panthers Guilliume Lepine rammed the Giants Ryan Crane headlong into the boarding receiving only two minutes for the brutal hit, the Giants couldn’t beat Kowalski.
Watching the Giants after that incident you waited for Mike Hoffman and or Adam Keefe to get into action with Lepine to spark the Giants revival but the reverse was evident with the Panthers just gaining more momentum.
A goal from Brandon Benedict started the goal gush for the Panthers in the opening period. Belfast thought they scored an equalizer from Craig Peacock with the goal light burning a brilliant red.
However Michael Hicks the referee overruled the goal judge stating he lost sight of the puck thus blew his whistle. In the second period Brock Wilson then Matt Francis made it 3-0 after two periods of play without a Giants reply.
After that the Giants had no answer to the very motivated Nottingham squad especially after the Giants recently beat them twice in the Lace Cities Barn. That was motivation enough for the Panthers rampage.
Nottingham finished off the route from David Beauregard then with one second left on the clock David Clarke finished it off for the Panthers.
Giants got on the board with a power play effort from Jeff Mason but that made little difference in the outcome. Like Arsenal the Giants have to come back from a four-goal deficit in the return leg next Tuesday in Nottingham.
Can the Giants do it? On the first leg’s evidence the answer is no.