06 Apr 2025, 17:30 | Regular season | Motorpoint Arena Nottingham |
Nottingham Panthers | 3-4 OT | Belfast Giants |
Periods: Shots: | 1-1 (10-16) | 2-1 (5-13) | 0-1 (10-13) | 0-1 (1-1) | Total: 26-43 |
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Referees: #9 Joe Sewell, #3 Tom Pering  |  Spectators: 6861 |
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Goals and assists
The Belfast Giants would head into Nottingham with a chance to clinch
the EIHL title. Any sort of win would see them crowned Champions.
The
Panthers would be the team who opened the scoring, however. A nice play
between Kontos, Doherty and Fossier would see an easy back-door,
tap-in, be finished off by the Nottingham #18 at 5:29.
Despite the
Giants going shorthanded due to the Boudrais slashing call, Captain
Mark Cooper would tie the game. A solo run would see Cooper get round
the Panthers’ defenders and put it between the arms of Huhtamaa and at
13:47 the game would be tied.
Panthers would regain the lead five
minutes into the second session. It would be the same forward line as
the first Panthers goal. Matt Spencer would find Fossier, who's tip
would fall kindly for Doherty who would finish it off nicely into the
top corner at 25.22.
And three minutes later the hosts would
double their lead. A feed from Kontos would find Zech in all alone and
despite being brought down, he would slide it under Whistle and at
28:21, it was 3-1 Nottingham.
Before the end of the second period,
the Giants would find a way to half the deficit. Mike Lee, the trailing
man on the play, was found nicely by David Goodwin and a perfect shot
would beat Huhtamaa and the end of the second would see the Giants
needing two goals to get the win they needed.
It would take just
over seven minutes to find a goal in the third and it would be a game
tying goal. A broken play behind the net would see the puck fall on the
stick of Scott Conway who would fire it low, into the corner and the
Giants were itching closer to the title.
The end of regulation
time would the two teams be tied at three goals to three but an out of
town scoreboard result would come in and a Sheffield loss in Coventry
would mean a point was more than enough to secure the Giants the EIHL
Title. But overtime to still play…
And the Giants would find the
extra point as Mike Lee would score his second overtime, game-winning
goal, in as many nights - on the breakaway. The perfect end to the
perfect night for the Belfast Giants - 2024/25 Elite League Champions.