Danny Stewart’s Nottingham Panthers are on a six-match winning streak at present, following this past weekend’s double-header success against Guildford Flames (7-4) and Manchester Storm (4-0).

The games, on Friday and Sunday respectively, pushed the Panthers into third place in the Elite League standings, a point ahead of fourth place Sheffield Steelers, and four ahead of Coventry Blaze.

PANTHERS BLOW OUT THE FLAMES

In the first of the two league outings, at home to Guildford Flames, on Friday night, the game would turn on a four-score, 100-second blitz, from the Panthers, in the second period, the hosts leading 3-2 at the time.

An early brace from Cooper Zech, with Matt Alvaro’s effort for the visitors sandwiched between, saw the Panthers into a 2-1 lead; Zech’s first during a powerplay from the left, whilst his second saw him being fed by captain Sam Herr.

After Herr has netted for the Panthers early in the second, and Jack Jacome kept the Flames within a goal, before the Panthers threw out a goal-blitz, between the thirty-fourth and thirty-sixth minutes.

Didrik Henbrant started the rout when he netted from close following a pass from behind the Flames’ net by Tim Doherty, Doherty himself then netted a rebound less than thirty seconds later, Kristoff Kontos added a penalty shot, before Reid Stefanson saw his deflected effort bamboozle the visiting net-minder – all of that in a hundred seconds, the home support was delirious.

Following all that action, the Panthers took their foot off the gas a little in the third period, allowing the Flames some breathing space, from which they added two further scores themselves, Jacome adding his second which went in off the bar, before Brett Ferguson notched their four on a close-range rebound.

A couple of late powerplays for the hosts could have yielded more scores, but the Panthers settled for the 7-4 win, and the move into third place.

GRANDE SHUTS OUT THE STORM

The Panthers made the short trip over to Manchester Storm on Sunday night, for a game which saw netminder Jason Grande perform heroics between the pipes.

A quick-fire, first period double score put the Panthers in the ascendency as first Henbrant, then Doherty, netted; Henbrant’s opener was off his own rebounded shot, before Doherty fired home from close to double the advantage.

A tighter game than the Friday night goal-fest in Nottingham, it would not be until late in the second that the third score was added, Henbrant with his second of the contest, after Matt Alfaro had combined well with Doherty.

The Panthers’ fourth score, as with the first two, came quickly after, this time Jaakko Niskala getting in on the act, firing home a low wrist-shot to make the score 4-0 to the free-scoring visitors.

There were continued chances in the third for the Panthers to add to their score, but it was at the other end where a stand-out performance was made.

Panthers netminder, Jason Grande, deputising for the injured Ryan Bednard of late, put in a rather impressive showing, the Storm unable to find a way past what became a 27-shot shut-out for the Panthers goalie.

COMING UP

Next up for the Panthers it’s a pair of road trips, to Cardiff and Dundee, against the Devils (1 February), and the Stars (8 February), whilst in the Challenge Cup semi-finals, the Belfast Giants elected to face the Panthers in the two-legged affair – the dates for those are as follows, away (12 February), and home (26 February).

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @PanthersIHC Panthers win on the road against the Storm.