Wed 1 Apr 2026 - 9:20PM
1ST APRIL 2026: PANTHERS 2-1 STORM
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Chase Pearson scored the winner with 46 seconds remaining as Nottingham Panthers beat Manchester Storm 2-1 at the Motorpoint Arena to move up to third in the Elite League table.
Panthers were once again without the injured trio of Matt Alfaro, Zsombor Garát and Matt Marcinew. Kevin Carr started between the pipes with Jason Grande as back-up.
Armour on target as first period ends all-square
The visitors took the lead on the powerplay through an absolute bullet from the blueline by defenceman Nick Welsh (01:51).
It was 1-1 when Panthers hit back on a powerplay of their own as David Noël's shot was saved by Drew DeRidder and Ross Armour buried the rebound on the doorster (03:55).
Panthers dominated much of the rest of the period with two good chances for Didrik Henbrant, while Tim Doherty and Jakob Stridsberg also went close.
Panthers on top but no goals in second session
Henbrant continued to make an impact on the game and saw his shot saved by DeRidder after cutting inside from the left.
Carr made a superb stop to turn away Brandon Cutler's effort and also made two close-range saves on a Storm powerplay.
Panthers finished the period strong and Stridsberg's shot from the right-circle came back off the left-hand post.
Late Pearson goal wins it for the Panthers
Chances were limited in the third period for both sides but Doherty had two shots saved by DeRidder.
At the other end, Manchester forwards Brady Gilmour and Gary Haden saw their efforts saved by Carr from close-range.
Just as the game looked to be going to overtime, Henbrant's feed from behind the net found Chase Pearson in the slot to score the game-winner (59:14).
Next-up for Panthers
​Panthers and Manchester meet again on Saturday in Altrincham before Danny Stewart's side return to the Motorpoint Arena on Sunday to host Cardiff Devils.
The game - which is sponsored by Lake Energy - faces-off at 16:00 and has already sold-out. Thank you for your support #PanthersNation.
The following week Panthers will defend the playoff crown as the quarter-finals get under way.
Our home leg will take place on Sunday 12th April (16:00 face-off) and there's already under 1,000 tickets remaining.
Make sure you secure your seats and be part of our playoff journey as we aim to win the famous trophy for a second year in succession.