Goals, Atmosphere and Style: Manchester Storm vs Nottingham Panthers 21/02/2026 by Amber Gilmore

The Nottingham Panthers headed to Manchester for an important game, with the season nearing its end and every point counting.

The opening 10 minutes saw the Panthers take control, putting the Storm under sustained pressure. However, at 10:00 Nottingham received a penalty for slashing. 1 minute 33 seconds into the power play, Gary Haden capitalised, firing the puck home to give Manchester the advantage! Only 12 seconds later, Cutler struck again, slotting the puck past the netminder to make it 2-0 to the Storm. Shortly after, Nottingham found themselves in penalty trouble once again, taking two consecutive penalties and handing Storm a two-man advantage. Not long after, Brady Gilmour made no mistake, extending the lead to 3-0. Still on the powerplay, just 33 seconds later Ergang added another, further increasing Storm’s tally!

The Panthers came out for the second period refreshed and determined to respond. More hits, more possession, more power - they were ready and proved it with a power play goal 3 minutes into the period. The rest of the period was end-to-end with both sides creating chances, but neither able to beat the netminders.

The third period began with both teams increasing the intensity, delivering heavy hits and applying constant pressure. Panthers were desperate for a goal, while Storm were looking to see the game out. At 55:10, Jason Grande left the net for the Panthers in favour of the extra skater. Just 15 seconds later, Nick Welsh capitalised, finding the empty net to seal the victory for Manchester. Welsh made sure to grab the opportunity and secure a 5-1 win for the Storm.

Tim Doherty was awarded Man of the Match for the Panthers for his performance, while Brady Gilmour took the honours for Manchester. A dominant performance from the Storm saw them secure another important result, continuing their push at the top end of the table.