Double on ice

THE Nottingham Panthers clinched their second trophy of the season, and back to back play-off championships at Capital FM Arena on Sunday.

Corey Neilson’s men beat Cardiff Devils 2-0 in the Elite League play-off final, just 24 hours after an emphatic 10-3 victory over Hull Stingrays in the semi-final.

A huge contingent of Panthers fans watched a cagey and scrappy final, with no goals in the first and second periods.

Devils netminder Steve Lyle frustrated Nottingham, Matt Francis and Jordan Fox in particular, with a number of top class saves, but there was little he could do when David Beauregard instinctively fired home following a scramble with seven minutes remaining.

Although their advantage was slender, Panthers looked comfortable in the closing stages and followed their Challenge Cup success with the final trophy of the season as David Clarke scored an empty netter in the dying seconds.

It was fitting that Clarke should have the final say, after bagging a hat-trick in Saturday’s demolition of Hull.