Giants One Game From History After Sealing Play-Off Finals Spot

Sean Norris and Ben Lake both grabbed doubles, with Steven Owre and David Goodwin adding on, while netminder Tyler Beskorowany had a storming performance in keeping the Panthers at bay.

The Giants know that only one game stands between them and a clean sweep of all three trophies this season, with either the Sheffield Steelers or Cardiff Devils awaiting in Sunday's Grand Final.

First period

The Giants got off to a flying start, pulling ahead just 2:07 in as Goodwin battled behind the net to recover the puck and found Owre in the slot and the winger made no mistake with the finish. (1-0)

Netminder Tyler Beskorowany then produced his first bit of magic, somehow denying Jakub Izacky as he drove down the right, freezing the puck as Jordan Kelsall lurked at the back door.

And his skaters rewarded him with their second goal at 5:12, taking advantage of a delayed penalty as Will Cullen fired the puck on goal and, although Peyton Jones made the save, there was Norris to divert in the rebound to double the lead. (2-0)

Beskorowany needed to be at his best to make two huge saves to deny Izacky and then David Levin on the powerplay as Gabe Bast was penalised for tripping, but when they got back to full strength they added a third at 9:58 as Lake's shot was deflected in off a Panthers stick. (3-0)

But having failed to heed the warnings, the Giants were punished on their second penalty kill as Scott Conway was handed a tripping minor and the Panthers finally struck, the puck breaking to Jack Hopkins in the left circle and he provided the finish at 12:11. (3-1)

And it needed Beskorowany to be on top form again to prevent Jeremy Welsh from making it a one-goal game at the first intermission, the netminder at full stretch to deny the winger at the back door as time ticked down

Second period

The middle frame started as the first ended, Beskorowany sharp to go post-to-post to deny Welsh a one-time finish from the right circle, before he juggled a shot by Tanner Sorensen but held on to make the save.

At the other end, Goodwin couldn't find the net when the puck broke to him at the back post and he sent it wide, while Cullen flashed a shot wide of the target from the left circle as he drove forward.

But the fourth goal would come at 24:49 and it was a Panthers mistake that gifted Goodwin the chance, Michael Caruso passing it straight to the stick of the Giants captain in front of goal and the finish was perfect. (4-1)

David Levin perhaps should have made it a two-goal game again when he fanned on a chance right in front shortly after, but the Panthers did well to kill off a high sticking penalty against their captain Matthew Myers.

And they made that kill count as they once again brought the deficit back down to two through Stephen Anderson, the centre picking up on the rebound on the doorstep off Myers' initial shot and squeezing it under Beskorowany's pads at 33:00. (4-2)

The Giants had a couple of big chances to restore their three-goal lead late in the period but couldn't take advantage, Goodwin and Owre failing to connect on a two-on-one, while Lake shot straight at Jones inside the final minute

Third period

With the first goal in the third period key, it went to the Giants and it needed a lengthy video review to secure it, David Gilbert firing the puck to the net and Lake was there to jam home the rebound at the crease at 47:31 to ensure the game was won. (5-2)

Nottingham did pull another one back at 51:41 when a shot rebounded off the backboards perfectly to Izacky and he produced the finish to make it another two-goal game (5-3) but the Giants finally ended it as a contest at 52:52 when Norris grabbed his second, banking the puck off the skates of Jones and in from behind the goal. (6-3)

Tanner Sorensen had a chance to make it nervy again when he got a clean breakaway but he fired over, and when he took a cross-checking call immediately after, it allowed the Giants to close it out comfortably on the powerplay, even with Jones pulled for the extra skater in the dying stages.

Next up

The Cardiff Devils take on Sheffield Steelers at the Motorpoint Arena (face off 7pm), for the second semi-final meet of the day – the result of this game will determine the Giants’ opponent in tomorrow’s final.