It was a Super Sunday at the Motorpoint Arena with all teams playing, looking to end their weekends with something positive.
Nottingham Panthers needed a win over Coventry Blaze, while a fascinating contest looked in the offing between Manchester Storm and Sheffield Steelers as we take a look back on the day’s news in the Elite Series.
DAILY HEADLINES
PRE-GAME POLLS
? WHO WILL WIN? ?
? @PanthersIHC ? @covblazehockey
? #2021EliteSeries
?@nottinghamarena
? 2pm
? https://t.co/RhJ2ucMU0M— British Ice Hockey ? (@BritIceHockey) April 11, 2021
? WHO WILL WIN? ?
? @Mcr_Storm ? @steelershockey
? #2021EliteSeries
?@nottinghamarena
? 7pm
? https://t.co/RhJ2ucMU0M— British Ice Hockey ? (@BritIceHockey) April 11, 2021
GAME RECAPS
NOTTINGHAM PANTHERS 1 COVENTRY BLAZE 3
Coventry Blaze got back to winning ways with two powerplay goals and one shorthanded to make an already miserable weekend even worse for Nottingham Panthers.
Panthers coach Tim Wallace swapped Ben Bowns for Jackson Whistle between the pipes as they looked to bounce back from Saturday’s heavy loss to Sheffield Steelers.
For both teams, it was a chance to improve on their records of three losses from their four games so far, even though Blaze had a point more in the standings.
It was, nevertheless, Danny Stewart’s men who got themselves ahead as Nicolai Bryhnisveen smashed one in from point on the powerplay after being set up by Janne Laakkonen.
Five minutes later, Blaze had doubled their lead through Tristan Keck, who is continuing to impress in this competition, firing from the right side face off circle, between Whistle with a shorthanded goal.
Panthers got themselves into the game and in terms of performance, was much better than Saturday night’s efforts as they peppered Shane Owen’s zone with chances.
They couldn’t find a way through until late in the second when Mark Matheson got the assist and Christophe Boivin finished from close range to halve the deficit going into the second break.
The game was finely poised going into the third and despite being far superior in terms of chances, Nottingham could feel a little frustrated they hadn’t converted more.
It was something that proved to come back and bite them on the behind as Simen Andre Edvardsen netted from the circle on the powerplay with 11 minutes to go to restore Coventry’s two-goal cushion.
It was a case of not doing anything silly as the game lurched into the final minutes for the Blaze, as Panthers withdrew Whistle in the final couple of minutes in an attempt to get something, but Coventry held on to take the points.
SHOTS ON GOAL: Panthers 49 Blaze 23
GOALSCORERS:
Panthers – Christophe Boivin (38:39 – Matheson, Ellis)
Blaze – Nicolai Bryhnisveen (07:36 – Laakkonen, Keck PP); Tristan Keck (12:20 – Clements, Hammond – SH); Simen Andre Edvardsen (48:42 – Venus, Jermain PP)
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MANCHESTER STORM 4 SHEFFIELD STEELERS 6
It was another high scoring affair and another victory for Sheffield Steelers as they done enough to secure victory – their third in a row in the Elite Series.
Like last Sunday’s meeting, which yielded nine goals, both teams went one better and provided ten this time in front of the watching public, but unlike a week ago, it was Aaron Fox celebrating this time.
Robert Dowd got the opener with a backhanded finish in the opening minutes before Scott Simmonds cancelled it out for Manchester, tipping in from Josh Batch’s effort to level things up.
Steelers restored the lead with a piledriver of an effort from Jeremy Beaudry, who netted on the powerplay before he added his second and Steelers’ third after 17 minutes.
Storm had the final say in the opening period when Jason Lundell Noer rounded Ben Churchfield and drew Ryan Finnerty’s team in a little closer.
Manchester got themselves level on the 26 minute mark when captain Dallas Ehrhardt found the smallest gap to force the puck past Churchfield.
However the deadlock was broken by Dowd with a shot from the high slot to edge Steelers in front again, but it wouldn’t be long before Storm restored parity again.
With a massive five minute powerplay opportunity after Davey Phillips was sent to the box for a check from behind on Simmonds, it gave Ben Lake the opportunity to tie the game at four early in the third.
Once more, Sheffield got the edge when Jason Hewitt tapped home for his third goal in three games with a shorthanded finish.
When Adrian Saxrud-Danielsen got his first goal of the Elite Series with an impressive finish just after 51 minutes, it proved to be enough while Storm couldn’t find a way through, ending the weekend on a low note.
SHOTS ON GOAL: Storm 26 Steelers 34
GOALSCORERS:
Storm – Scott Simmonds (03:48 – Batch, Long); Jacob Lundell Noer (18:11 – Solder, Lake); Dallas Ehrhardt (26:42 – Lake, Gran); Craig Peacock (41:03 – Lake, Fortier)
Steelers – Robert Dowd (00:35 – unassisted); Jeremy Beaudry (06:43 – Mikyska, Eberle PP); Jeremy Beaudry (16:56 – Dowd, Eberle PP); Robert Dowd (32:50 – Mikyska); Jason Hewitt (43:47 – Schulze, Connolly SH); Adrian Saxrud Danielsen (51:06 – J Phillips, Waller)
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PHOTOS
