12 Oct 2024, 19:00 | Regular season | Motorpoint Arena Nottingham |
Nottingham Panthers | 3-2 | Cardiff Devils |
Periods: Shots: | 2-0 (14-8) | 1-1 (7-15) | 0-1 (5-15) | Total: 26-38 |
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Referees: Pering/Dalton  |  Spectators: 6189 |
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Goals and assists
Nottingham Panthers moved four points clear at the top of Challenge
Cup Group A with a 3-2 home win over Cardiff Devils. 6,189 fans saw them
do it at the Motorpoint Arena, with some 200 travelling from Cardiff.
After
an opening 10 minutes that was scoreless largely thanks to Ben Bowns in
the Devils net, Tim Doherty finally beat the visitors' goalie with an
excellent top-shelf wrist shot on the powerplay with 13:24 played. Just
25 seconds later, Didrik Henbrant did excellently to win the puck back
in the offensive zone, and eventually the puck broke to Sam Herr in
front to slot home past a stranded Bowns to double the home side's lead.
Riley
Brandt's roughing minor 6:17 into period two ultimately came back to
cost the Devils in the game. 25 seconds into the man advantage, a Matt
Alfaro shot took a few deflections and looped into the back of Bowns'
net. The goal was credited to Herr but may well have come off Hugo Roy
at the top of the crease.
Three behind but with 33 minutes still
to play, the Devils needed something – and they got it through former
Panther Brett Perlini with 5:40 left in the middle period. Cole Sanford
made things interesting with a second for the Devils with 7:06
remaining in the final period, but despite some pressure they failed to
call Ryan Bednard into any big saves. Bowns was pulled with 64 seconds
to play, but the Devils couldn’t find a tying goal and the Panthers took
an important Cup win.