A frosty Friday night performance from the Storm saw them come second best to a solid Nottingham Panthers side, falling short 4-0 as Bednard secured his first EIHL shutout.

In the opening moments, both sides spurned golden scoring opportunities, something the hosts would later come to regret. The Panthers’ pressure paid off when Henbrant converted from close range in the 18th minute.

A major defensive breakdown in man-to-man coverage allowed Kontos to skate into the zone unchallenged and slide the puck through the legs of a stranded Weninger after 25 minutes of play. The rhythm of the Storm bench was clearly disrupted by a procession of minor penalties, preventing the hosts from maintaining any sustained pressure in the attacking zone, while the Panthers continued to dictate the pace. Nottingham capitalised on a well-worked power play in the 32nd minute, with Alfaro rifling the puck into the roof of the Storm net.

This three-goal cushion persisted until the closing seconds of the game, when the impressive Nieminen added a fourth for Nottingham with just five seconds left on the clock.

Words by: Callum Schora