Nottingham Panthers salvaged something from an otherwise miserable weekend by beating Hull Stingrays 3-0 on Sunday. Panthers lost 4-3 to Belfast Giants in a penalty shoot-out at the National Ice Centre on Friday and 24 hours later were beaten at home by Cardiff. Saturday's 6-5 defeat against Elite League leaders Cardiff was particularly hard to take as Panthers had led 4-2. But they bounced back to beat Hull on Sunday with goals from Billy Ryan, Corey Neilson and Jeff Heerema. A four-on-four goal by Ryan after six minutes of the first period and a powerplay strike from player-coach Neilson earned a 2-0 lead at the first break and Hereema's powerplay effort in the final period sealed the win. Netminder Craig Kowalski secured a 33-shot shut-out, his second of the season. Friday night's home reverse against the Giants seemed to be playing on Corey Neilson's side's minds as Cardiff Devils raced into a two-goal lead on Saturday. Panthers responded in stunning fashion and surged ahead in fine style thanks to two Jonathan Zion strikes and further efforts from Jade Galbraith and Heerema. But a last-gasp powerplay goal at the end of the second period gave Devils a huge boost and they went on to secure the points in a breathless final period, despite a fine Robert Lachowicz goal. The back-to-back defeats put a huge dent in Nottingham's title chances, as they now trail leaders Cardiff by six points and have played two games more than the Welsh side.
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