Nottingham can thank Thompson and the officials for a point they probably didn't deserve tonight. I think there is a personality clash between Thompson and Adams/Francis. Several times he went up to the Panthers bench for a chat and laugh. Didn't do the same all game to the Devils bench.
Panthers first goal was after a turnover in the neutral zone, and after the puck was dumped into the zone and worked back to the blueline, none of the Devils players closed Neilson down and he had all the time in the world to fire past a screened Lyle.
2 mintues later and Laroque checked Richardson from behind into the boards head first. Not quite sure why it wasn't 2+10 or worse, but he only got 2 minutes for boarding.
A minute later and the whistle blows after a save from St Pierre. As the players start to linechange, D'Amour butt-ends Latulippe in the face. Latulippe and Miller go nuts, D'armour swings back punches and stick.
Panthers end up on the PP.
Not that it really mattered as the Panthers PP was awful all game to such an extent the Devils always looked dangerous on a quick breakaway.
Midway through the period and Michel finally has enough of all the stickwork off the puck by Galbraith. Both players drop the gloves and Jade gets the better of the fight as you would expect from someone with twice the weight of his opponent. Having said that, after falling to the ice Michel got back up and threw a couple of punches which connected before the linesmen jumped in too quickly.
A couple of minutes later and all the players start throwing punches by the plexi. It was the opposite side to me so I couldn't see clearly but it looked like Richardson started it - presumably why he then got an instigator. At one point though Voth was being punched by two players and doing a decent job of punching them both back at the same time. Voth got 2+2 (as well as a 10 minute misconduct though I know what for), yet no Panthers player got a 3rd man in penalty. Only Richardson 2 minutes for roughing. As Voth was being led away, Thompson decided to totally ignore the major incident and start shouting at Voth. Don't know why as he wasn't trying to wrestle free from the linesman like Mann had been moments earlier. Absolutely shocking from Thompson, as he wasn't looking at what was going on - i.e. Lee deciding to go for Finnerty.
Finnerty gave Lee a bit of a battering. I say "a bit" because I'm trying to be nice to him as he has impressed me this season so far.
Devils DJ (Rhythm) tries to take the opportunity to get the crowd going "Lets Go Devils Lets Go". One fat Panthers fans decides to run down from the back of the block, lean over the barrier and shout abuse at him. Another Panthers fan comes down slightly slower and joins in. This goes on for quite a few minutes until they have to be spoken to by a steward. I found it all very amusing and I bet Rhythm did too.
1 minute left and the Panthers shoot the puck through traffic towards net. Lyle seems to lose sight of the puck and as he tries to readjust and catch, falls backwards and knocks the net off. Losing his balance he drops the puck, which bobbles around for a couple of seconds before being knocked out.
Despite the fact that the net is half a foot off it's moorings, Thompson gives the goal. Devils bench gets a penalty for pointing out they don't agree.
Devils were very unfortunate to be 2 goals behind at the break. A week ago we deserved to be against Blaze, but tonight we were always the better side other than the occasional quick counter-attack by Nottingham.
2 minutes into the second period, and Coach Corey shows his players how not to do it, elbowing Michel after being hit fairly. Devils PP, and after passing it around Richardson passes it to Smith who hits a one-time slapshot just inside the near post.
Midway point of the game and the Devils are dominating but failing to take their chances. With the puck on the blueline, Romfo fires it towards Davies who is well wide of the goal. St Pierre is quite far out of his net, and as the puck gets to him Davies diverts it towards goal, where it seems to hit St Pierre's glove and bounce in.
Seconds later, a great bit of skill sees Michel in on goal before being pulled down from behind. Big shout for a penalty shot from the Devils crowd and bench but only a 2 minute minor is given. I'm not certain enough of the rules to decide who was right - but I was told in the NHL it would be a stonewall penalty shot.
Devils PP misfires for once and the Panthers get a breakaway, which Lyle saves. Thompson gives Richardson a penalty for hooking even though it was clearly the Panthers player holding his stick - and confirmed on the subsequent replay.
With two minutes left of the period Meyers gets hit in the face with the puck and goes down bleeding. Not sure whether it was his gums or lips but it looked pretty messy.
For some reason the Panthers fans start chanting for a replay?!??! A rather sick request IMO, but Rhythm responds by showing them a replay....of the Devils first goal!
Into the final period and Finnerty is called for hooking despite it being the same holding-the-stick ploy and Thompson falling for it again. In fact, the Panthers were trying to con Thompson most of the night, the worst being Larocque.
After losing the puck on the PP and getting away with a cross check on Michel, with no one close to him he dives to the ice as if he just got taken out by a sniper. He struggles to the bench as if seriously injured, falling over twice more for good measure. By the time he has got to the bench though he has realised he hasn't fooled anyone and has a laugh about it before going straight back out for the next shift.
Devils should have had a powerplay in the final 5 minutes after a Panthers linechange mix-up. 1 player went off, 2 came on, Panthers play with 6 skaters for around 10 seconds before someone realises and quickly jumps off. Neither linesmen pick it up and they get away with it. Not sure what was wrong with the linesmen today but the kept allowing the Panthers to delay face-off after face-off. Several times they didn't have enough players on the ice, or had to go to the bench to change stick - but not once was their centre kicked out of the face-off as players usually are.
Best chance of the third period was a Birbraer one-timer straight from the face off which pinged off the post. Into overtime and the Panthers started the brighter. However, after Romfo picks up the puck he breaks down the rightwing and fires it across goal. St Pierre makes a right mess of it and falls over, with the puck falling to Hartwick who fires it back into the goal and a deserved win for the Devils.
