FIXTURE LIST & GAME SHEETS    CHALLENGE CUP   ELITE LEAGUE

PLAY-OFFS    PLAYER-STATS     HONOURS    SUMMARY

Paul Adey paid the price for the team's underperformance of the previous season by losing his coaching job in June. Shortly after the replacement was revealed. None other that Mike Blaisdell. 
On the wider front, the demise of the BNL had seen Newcastle & Edinburgh join the ranks of the Elite league making nine teams in all. Belfast had lost their main sponsor and announced that they would not participate in the Challenge Cup, which would be run along the lines of the old autumn cup, separate from league games.
Dan Welch was the first casualty when in mid October he was released in favour of Shaun Sutter, a line-mate of Dan Tessier's the previous season. In Sutter's first game against London we lost Dion Darling to a dislocated shoulder. Darling was de-registered and Stefan Sjogren was signed as a temporary replacement.
A fortnight later we lost another player to injury in a game against the Racers when Brad Patterson suffered a badly broken finger and looked set for a month on the sidelines.
A bigger blow however was the loss of Dan Tessier. The teams' top scorer, by quite a margin at the time, was lured away by Swiss side Lausanne. Dan handed in his two weeks notice and iced for the last time at the end of November, scoring two goals in a 3-0 win in Wales.
On the wider front, London Racers had withdrawn from the league around the third week in November, as their home rink in Lea Valley was felt not up to the necessary safety standard. With the local authority unable or unprepared to amend the situation Racers' owners deemed it impossible to continue and the team folded. A Cup competition was introduced to make up for the fixture loss caused by the Racer's demise, but Panthers didn't participate.
 
CHALLENGE CUP

RESULTS GP W(RW) D L(OL) GF GA 2 2 (2) 0 0 (-) 4 1 2 2 (2) 0- 0 (-) 14 3 2 1 (1) - 1 (-) 4 4 Semi-Final 1 - (-) 1 1 (-) 7 8

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CUP GRP A GP W D L(OL) GF GA PTS GD 6 5 0 1 (-) 22 8 10 14 6 3 - 3 (-) 19 12 6 7 6 3 0 3 (-) 17 10 6 7 6 1 - 5 (-) 6 34 2 -28

Panthers opened their Challenge Cup campaign with back to back games against "the old enemy" from up the road. After overcoming the Steelers 3-1 at the NIC, they went to the Tin Shed and shut their hosts out, winning 1-0, to make for the perfect weekend. The next Challenge Cup game  saw the Panthers lose 3-1 in the north east to the Vipers. Following this first defeat Mike Blaisdell said; "We were very flat and too loose and they caught us on the hop with our over-forechecking." The following weekend Edinburgh were no match for the rampant Panthers and went home on the back of an 8-0 beating. The return in Edinburgh saw Panthers eventually run out 6-3 winners following a clutch of goals late on. The group stage closed with a 3-1 victory over the Vipers at the NIC.
The first semi-final in Coventry ended 4-4, but at one stage Panthers had led 4-2. The game ended with Stefan Sjogren lying in a pool of blood. A free for all ensued which included Mike Blaisdell. The 2nd leg at the NIC saw a disappointing 4-3 loss and Panthers were out of the Challenge Cup 8-7 on aggregate. Early season Panther, Dan Welch, again starring for the visitors.
The final involved the Devils & Blaze. The first game saw the Blaze win 3-0. The Devils turned this around winning the return 4-1, the tying goal coming 20 seconds from the end of the game. They were still tied after five penalty shots each, all missed, the Devils won in sudden death.

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LEAGUE

ELITE LGE GP W(RW) D L(OL) GF GA PTS 42 28(25) 4 10 (1) 166 100 61 42 25(22) 4 13 (1) 133 101 55 42 23(22) 6 13 (2) 111 88 54 42 23(22) 4 15 (3) 150 107 53 42 18(16) 6 18 (1) 110 122 43 42 15(13) 6 21 (2) 105 135 38 42 10(9) 2 30 (2) 121 174 24 42 9(8) 2 31 (3) 118 187 23

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RESULTS GP W(OW) D L(OL) GF GA 6 4(1) 1 1(-) 19 16 6 3 1 2(-) 17 16 6 3 1 2(-) 13 9 6 3 1 2(1) 13 10 6 6 0 0(-) 20 9 6 1 1 4(1) 12 16 6 3 1 2(-) 17 12

The league campaign started at the NIC with a 2-0 win over the Devils in an encounter where the Devils racked up 76 minutes in penalties compared to Panthers 6. Following the Edinburgh Challenge Cup walk-over, Panthers lost 2-0 in Coventry, despite out-shooting their hosts 36 to 24. Panthers misfiring power-play being the main culprit. The following Thursday Panthers were away in Belfast. Again Panthers out-shot their hosts, 48 to 27 in this case, but at least they came away with a point from a 4-4 tie. With the Giants 1st & back-up goalies injured, Cardiff's back-up Nathan Craze was drafted in and won the Giants MOM. Geoff Woolhouse was in goal for the Panthers. The following weekend saw a disappointing 3-3 tie in Basingstoke followed by a dreadful 4-1 loss at the NIC to Belfast. The Giants sat back and defied us the pass our way through them, and we couldn't do it. They on the other hand were lethal on the PP and break-aways, with Ruff and Awada to the fore. In both games Panthers outshot their opponents 2 to 1, but couldn't find their way past the goalies. Panthers were mid-table and Mike Blaisdell was talking about changes. But one of Panthers main problems was the absence of David Clarke through a knee ligament injury. The 2nd game of the Edinburgh weekend saw Panthers run out 5-3 winners, this time Curt Bowen to the fore with 3+1. Following a mid-week foray against the Vipers at the NIC, Panthers went to the Tin Shed and won 3-1, Tessier with another brace. London were the next in town. When Patterson netted an empty netter near the end to seal a 3-1 win, the game predictably degenerated into a farce. London displaying all the same bush league qualities as the previous season, aided and abetted by referee Hicks who appeared to lose his grip on the game after the first period. More worryingly Darling damaged a shoulder as he fell to the ice in his scuffle with Cornish.  
NHL legend Theo Fleury visited the NIC with the Giants and went home a 5-3 loser following a penalty strewn encounter, where several of the Giants appeared to "lose it" as the game slipped away from them. On Sun 30th, the wheels fell off. With Darling gone, Carlsson failed to make the start of the home encounter with the Bison. With one regular D man remaining the Panthers couldn't cope with the wait and break tactics of the visitors. Despite out-shooting them 39 to 22 we lost 5-1. 
Darling's replacement turned out to be Stefan Sjogren, a 24yo Swede and brother to ex Panther Christian, who had turned out in 2001/02. His first weekend with the Panthers saw two away games and a 4-2 win in London followed by a 1-0 loss in Cardiff.
Next was a two home game weekend. The first a 3-2 OT loss to the Blaze. From 2-0 up this was annoying because for two and a half periods the Panthers were the better team and Curtis Cruickshank was under-used. However as the final period progressed we sat back and went into cruise mode. The Blaze upped their skating and eventually we got what we deserved. The following night we gained a modicum of revenge over the Bison as they were beaten 4-2 at the NIC. Back to back wins, 2-0, over the Caps at the NIC followed by a 2-1 success in Coventry saw Panthers gain maximum points over the weekend of 19th & 20th Nov to cement 2nd place behind leaders Belfast.
The highlight to date came on the 25th Nov when the Steelers went home, thrashed 5-1 :o). This was followed up the following night with a 3-0 win in Cardiff. Sadly this was Dan Tessier's final game but he signed off with two of the three goals. How could Panthers fill the void left?
In Panthers next league game a severely depleted side, missing long term injury victim Darling, together with Sjogren, Cote, Moran and Neil, hung on to overcome a physical Devils side 6-4 in a thriller at the NIC. Shawn Sutter starred with a hat-trick which included a stunning sprawling back-hander and a looping long range empty netter. Minus the resigned Tessier and absent Cote however the face-offs were woeful, with only Matt Myers holding his own. But he too became an injury victim leaving the game part way through after a heavy check into the boards.
The following weekend a depleted team faced away games at Basingstoke and Newcastle. In the former the Panthers eaked out a 2-1 overtime win, but the latter was a 4-2 loss. The Giants ten point lead was beginning to look unbridgeable, despite the four games in hand. Christmas arrived with Panthers in second place and facing four games over the festive period. The first was an expected home 5-2 success over Edinburgh. This was followed by a great 4-2 win in the tin shed on Boxing Day. The following night saw a hard fought if lacklustre1-1 tie with a workmanlike Devils at the NIC. Fortunately Panthers pressure finally caused the Devils penalty problems and Curt Bowen fired a low slap-shot through a crowd to level. A few days later the Vipers visited the NIC. In a game similar in many respects, this time the Panthers couldn't find a way through, with Paul Ferone scoring the insurance empty-netter two seconds from the end as the visitors ran out 2-0 winners. The holiday programme ended with a 6-3 NIC win over the Bison. Sloppy defending halped the Bison accrue 3 goals, but more worryingly, both Curt Bowen & Stefan Sjogren didn't see out the game.The following weekend the old enemy were in town again and their fans went home jubilant after a 3-2 win. The game was bereft of any quality finishing from the Panthers forwards in a game where they created enough chances to win three or four games, but missed virtually all. Kent Simpson showed them how it should be done.
The following week the in form Blaze were at the NIC. An open, even game, saw the visitors go home having lost 4-0. Arguably they were hard done by, but to a man Panthers defended valiantly and saw the bounces go there way for a change.
League title hopes were kept alive on January 20th with a super 3-1 win in Belfast. The Giants lead had been reduced to seven points and we had two games in hand. 
Those hopes appeared to have been dashed when the Vipers scored the equaliser, with the extra skater, 18 seconds from the end of the next game at the NIC. The chance to clear the puck at the death was spurned. In truth though, but for some heroic defending and another outstanding display from Curtis Cruickshank, Panthers would have lost this game, having been outshot 2 to 1. In the second of three back to back games against the Vipers. Cruickshank couldn't repeat the heroics of the previous week and the Panthers lost 5-3 and in the process dropped below their visitors in the league table. The final game resulted in a 3-2 overtime loss in Newcastle as the Vipers consolidated their 2nd position. Panthers were left with the Blaze breathing down their collective neck for 3rd. However with Cote and Wojciak both picking up dislocated shoulders, Darling an ankle injury and Ceman knee problems, that seemed rather academic. 
The following weekend saw Panthers minus Cote, Patterson & Ceman win 3-2 in Basingstoke. Still minus the aforementioned three and with the additional absentees Darling & Wojciak, the remaining Brits stepped up with James Cooke scoring and impressive 2+1 and Paul Moran 1+1 as the Caps lost 4-2 in their final encounter of the league season at the NIC. The following weekend saw back to back home and away encounters with the Blaze, still minus Cote, Patterson & Ceman. Surprisingly after a crewditable 2-2 at the NIC Panthers went one better the following night winning 3-2 at the Skydome. 
The league season wound down with back to back games against the Steelers. The first in Sheffield ended 1-1 with CC turning in a stellar 97.5% save average. The following night Panthers succumbed 4-2 following a totally abject display at the NIC. For two periods both sides were pretty dismal. In the 3rd the Steelers had a five minute purple patch and went from 2-1 down to 4-2 up. This was without doubt the worst display by the Panthers of the season and it was all about the respective imports. Panthers' were outskated and outworked and outskilled. Whether the ongoing injury problems have finally caught up with them, or the fact that there was nothing riding on the game in terms of the league, remains to be seen. I personally spent much of the game chuckling at the apparent lack of ability and poor decision making. You would have thought they'd never played together before. On this occasion even Curtis Cruickshank couldn't save the situation.
The league season closed with an impressive 4-1 win at Newcastle, the first time this season the Vipers had been beaten. If nothing else Panthers certainly seem to have found an effective away game-plan and for the moment everyone was on the bench.

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PLAY OFFS

TABLE GRP A GP W(RW) D L(OL) GF GA PTS GD 6 5(5) 0 1(0) 19 8 10 11 6 3(3) 2 1(0) 19 14 8 5 6 2(2) 1 3(0) 22 19 5 3 6 0(0) 1 5(0) 12 31 1 -19

TABLE GRP B GP W(RW) D L(OL) GF GA PTS GD 6 4(4) 1 1(0) 20 17 9 3 6 3(3) 1 2(0) 22 12 7 10 6 2(2) 2 2(0) 20 16 6 4 6 1(1) 0 5(0) 9 26 2 -17

RESULTS GP W(RW) D L(OL) GF GA 2 2(2) 0 0(0) 13 1 2 0(0) 1 1(0) 6 7 2 0(0) 1 1(0) 1 8

Panthers began the play-off campaign with a 3-3 tie at the NIC against the Vipers with an immediate return the following night. A point was all that was gleaned from the weekend as the return was a close 4-3 loss in the North East. Calle Carlsson had missed this second game, while David Clarke missed most of it following an early leg injury. Panthers hopes of reaching the play-off finals looked to have ended following an horrendous 7-0 loss to the Steelers at the NIC a week later. The following night they fared better, returning from Sheffield with a 1-1 tie. Panthers' hopes of progression rested on back to back wins over the Bison and a loss for the Steelers in their final game in Newcastle. Panthers started the last two qualifiers with a stunning 10-0 win in Basingstoke - leaving me lost for words! The return was duly won, but the Steelers 6-3 win over a weakened Vipers in the North East made it academic.
In the first semi the Steelers overcame the Devils on penalty shots following a 1-1 tie. In the second the Vipers downed the League Champs 4-2. The final too went the way of the Vipers as they overcame the Steelers 2-1, a game in which the Brits were to the fore.

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PLAYER STATS

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SUMMARY

Ultimately another disappointing season. Things started brightly enough, but when our two most skillful forwards went, Dan Welch being released and Dan Tessier jumping ship to Switzerland, things went downhill. The coach felt at the time that we were being pushed around too easily and indeed both Welch & Tessier were not the biggest. Welch's replacement Sutter had played with Tessier the season before in Fresno and had returned impressive stats. He didn't benefit from Tessier skills this season though, as no sooner had he appeared than Tessier was gone. Tessier himself was on target for an 80+ point season had he stayed. Dan Ceman was picked up to fill Tessier's slot, something he never came close to accomplishing. The stats paint a vivid picture. While Panthers had Tessier in the line-up they read,   Won 17 Lost 5 Drawn 1, without him, Won 14 Lost 11 Drawn 7. That just about sums up his value to the team.
Injuries again played their part. David Clarke, Brad Patterson, Dion Darling, Brandin Cote & Calle Carlsson all missing lengthy spells through injury.
Following an early season knee injury "Clarkie" in particular never seemed to find line-mates to suit him and his points total was well down on the previous year. On the plus side, Matt Myers had a good season. James Cooke had had an impact during his first few appearances and Curtis Cruickshank had somehow managed to improve on his figures from the previous season..

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2005/06 HONOURS