The Nottingham Panthers are one step closer to a Continental Cup title after a decisive 4-0 victory over GKS Katowice on Saturday, finishing group play atop their bracket. Hosted at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham,Great Britain,this year’s tournament features a revamped format with six teams vying for the championship [[2]]. The Panthers now advance to the final against Torpedo Öskemen, while other playoff matchups have been set following Saturday’s contests [[1]].
The Nottingham Panthers secured a dominant victory over GKS Katowice on Saturday, January 16th, with a final score of 4-0, propelling them to the top of their group in the IIHF Continental Cup. This win solidifies their position as strong contenders for the tournament title.
Nolens Volkan opened the scoring for the Panthers early in the second period, breaking the deadlock after a scoreless first.
Tim Doherty quickly doubled the lead for the British club shortly after the midpoint of the game.
Didriks Hanbrants extended the Panthers’ advantage to 3-0 midway through the third period, and Doherty added another goal, finding the back of an empty net. Katowice opted to pull their goaltender for an extra attacker more than five minutes before the final buzzer.
With the conclusion of group play, the playoff matchups are now set. The Nottingham Panthers will face Torpedo Öskemen in the Continental Cup final, while Herning Blue Fox, featuring Oskar Cibulskis and Janis Fecers, will battle GKS Katowice for the bronze medal. Latvia’s Mogo/RSU will compete against Ducs d’Angers for fifth place.
IIHF Continental Cup Final Tournament. Group Stage (Nottingham, Great Britain)
| Gr. | Date | Time | Game | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | January 14 | 9:00 PM | Nottingham Panthers (Great Britain) – Mogo/RSU (Latvia) | 4:0 (0:0; 2:0; 2:0) |
| January 15 | 9:00 PM | GKS Katowice (Poland) – Mogo/RSU | 3:2 p.m. (1:0; 0:1; 1:1; 0:0; 1:0) | |
| January 16 | 9:00 PM | Nottingham Panthers – GKS Katowice | 4:0(0:0; 2:0; 2:0) | |
| B | January 14 | 4:30 PM | Ducs d’Angers (France) – Herning Blue Fox (Denmark) | 1:4 (0:0; 1:3; 0:1) |
| January 15 | 4:30 PM | Herning Blue Fox – Torpedo Öskemen (Kazakhstan) | 2:6 (1:1; 1:3; 0:2) | |
| January 16 | 4:30 PM | Torpedo Öskemen – Ducs d’Angers | 2:3 p.l. (0:0; 0:0; 2:2; 0:1) |
Standings
| R | Group A | P | W | OTW | OTL | L | Goals | Pts | Group B | P | W | OTW | OTL | L | Goals | Pts | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Nottingham Panthers | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:0 | 6 | Torpedo Öskemen | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8:5 | 4 | |||
| 2. | GKS Katowice | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3:6 | 2 | Herning Blue Fox | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6:7 | 3 | |||
| 3. | Mogo/RSU | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2:7 | 1 | Ducs d’Angers | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4:6 | 2 |
