Gary Graham, Omar Pacha, and the Nottingham Panthers are in a tricky position two weeks into their rebuild. They’ve lost three straight since winning their season opener, with tensions on the climb at the Motorpoint Arena.
“It’s very hard for our club to get anything going because we don’t have an identity,” Graham said after Nottingham’s second loss of the weekend. “During our exhibition games, I thought we were pretty good defensively but that we had a hard time scoring. We’ve worked a lot on trying to score over the last couple of weeks but now we’re bad defensively. We’re having a hard time finding what works for our group right now.”
🎙 Post-Game | #EIHL
Gary Graham after @PanthersIHC's home defeat to Coventry. pic.twitter.com/6Z7AH6XyFA
— Elite Ice Hockey League | #EIHL (@officialEIHL) September 17, 2022
Ouch.
Nottingham’s weekend started with a 5-1 loss to the Manchester Storm and concluded with a 6-1 trouncing by the Coventry Blaze. Although it’s still early days, the Panthers are under pressure to rediscover their form in time for the next round of fixtures.
Elsewhere in the Elite League, the Blaze continued their winning run while the Belfast Giants opened their account with back-to-back victories over the Fife Flyers.
Related: Coventry Blaze make fast start to 2022-23 Elite League season
In the National League, the Hull Seahawks suffered a pair of heavy losses to start the campaign. The Swindon Wildcats, on the other hand, ended the weekend with two wins, more than a dozen goals scored, and two shutouts.
Gary Graham’s Nottingham Panthers Endure Difficult Elite League Weekend:
Thursday, 15 September 2022
- Challenge Cup: Dundee Stars 2-5 Fife Flyers
Friday, 16 September 2022
- Challenge Cup: Manchester Storm 5-1 Nottingham Panthers
Gary Graham, Nottingham Panthers (Image: Panthers Images)
Saturday, 17 September 2022
- Nottingham Panthers 1-6 Coventry Blaze
- Challenge Cup: Sheffield Steelers 5-2 Manchester Storm
- Challenge Cup: Belfast Giants 2-1 Fife Flyers (OT)
- Challenge Cup: Glasgow Clan 1-3 Dundee Stars
- Challenge Cup: Cardiff Devils 1-3 Guildford Flames
Sunday, 18 September 2022
- Dundee Stars 1-7 Sheffield Steelers
- Guildford Flames 2-1 Glasgow Clan
- Challenge Cup: Coventry Blaze 4-1 Cardiff Devils
- Challenge Cup: Fife Flyers 2-5 Belfast Giants
National Ice Hockey League, National League:
Friday, 16 September 2022
- Peterborough Phantoms 6-3 Bees IHC
Saturday, 17 September 2022
- Leeds Knights 7-4 Telford Tigers
- Swindon Wildcats 12-0 Hull Seahawks
- Basingstoke Bison 2-5 Peterborough Phantoms
- Milton Keynes Lightning 4-3 Sheffield Steeldogs (OT)
- Bristol Pitbulls 3-4 Raiders IHC
Mason Lipsey, Bristol Pitbulls (Image: Louis Hatton)
Sunday, 18 September 2022
- Sheffield Steeldogs 0-3 Swindon Wildcats
- Bees IHC 6-3 Basingstoke Bison
- Raiders IHC 2-6 Leeds Knights
- Hull Seahawks 0-9 Milton Keynes Lightning
- Telford Tigers 7-4 Bristol Pitbulls
Will Gary Graham’s Nottingham Panthers return to winning ways next week? Join the conversation by tagging @BritIceHockey on Twitter.
