It was a masterclass in goaltending at the Motorpoint Arena as Belfast Giants beat Nottingham Panthers 2-1 after a shootout, with just two goals scored in 65 minutes of play.
Jackson Whistle stopped 27 shots in regulation and overtime and all five in the shootout, while Kevin Carr put away 39 as both goaltenders stole the show in a match that had the intensity and pace of a playoff game.
“I thought it went really well for us,” Whistle said after the game. “It was nice to get the two points. This is a tough place to come in and win. They came out pretty hard but we took control of the game in the second and third rounds. Credit to Kevin in their net, he played really well tonight but we’re happy with the points in the shootout.”
The Panthers took the lead in the first period when Brendan Harris’ slap shot deflected off Chase Pearson’s hip into the net, marking his return to the lineup. Mitch Fossier came close to doubling the lead shortly afterwards, but shot wide on a one-timer with the goal open.
Carr was key in keeping the Panthers ahead early in period two, denying Brandon Whistle from close range. The Giants continued to press, forcing Nottingham to call a timeout midway through the frame, but the visitors were unable to find a breakthrough.
At 4:52 of the third period, Didrik Henbrant was ruled a boarding major and ejected from the game, giving the Giants a five-minute power play. Belfast took the lead late on when Nicholas Guay found space up front to slide the puck past Carr and tie the game.
The Panthers almost regained the lead moments later when a looping puck bounced off the crossbar and dropped in front of Whistle, who reacted sharply with his path to keep it out. The Giants hit the post at the other end before Carr made two more key stops on David Noël as the game headed into extra time.
“When it’s 3-on-3, you have to play a little differently,” Carr said. “Generally, whoever falls first will give up a strange rush when he comes back. Luckily that didn’t really happen tonight, but you go out to win the game and not much changes.”
Neither side could find a winner in the extra frame, sending the match into a shootout. Whistle was perfect, denying all five Panthers shooters, while Jordan Kawaguchi and Ryan Smith converted for Belfast to seal the win on the road.
“We’ve been in that position a lot over the years,” Whistle added. “The guys fought super hard tonight – they blocked shots for me and it definitely felt like a playoff game as things went on. It was fun to be a part of it.”
Carr reflected positively despite the defeat. “It was disappointing that we didn’t get the win, but it was positive that we got a point,” he said. “Belfast are a good team. We’ll have to compete against these teams and find a way to be a little bit better. It was good to see our resilience today – we got a good bounce back when they came out hard and we’ll have to continue to do that as time goes on.”
Photo: Panthers Images
Related
#Whistle #Carr #steal #show #Nottingham #Pro #Hockey #News