SPORT in many senses is built on memories – the joyous moments that make all the pain worthwhile.
Unfortunately for Nottingham Panthers the joy and pain have come in close proximity.
The thrill of winning the Challenge Cup will live long in the memory as it shows the greatest triumphs come in the face of adversity but that thrill comes at a price.
Halting the seemingly unstoppable Belfast Giants on Tuesday, 7-6 on aggregate after being 5-2 down, was followed by a crushing 4-0 home defeat to Braehead Clan just 48 hours later in the quarter-final first leg of the Elite League play-offs.
Panthers looked out on their skates in the latter game, but they still have time to turn it round tonight just as they did against the Giants. Few gave them any chance of beating Belfast and the vast majority would say it really is game over this time. If the players were tired on Thursday how will they find the energy to win by five in Glasgow?
Coach Corey Neilson admits his team are facing their toughest task yet, but he is refusing to rule them out.
He said: "Four goals to turn around is tougher than three and being on the road with a long trip is hard so it's a tougher ask than the Challenge Cup second leg.
"We can never be counted out and I know Braehead knows that.
"Belfast certainly knows that. The whole league knows that in a two game series we can score goals.
"I'm confident that if we go out, play to a very high level and shoot the puck we can score. Braehead away is a big ask but we've shown that we can accomplish things."
If ever a coach could plead mitigating circumstances after Thursday's defeat to Braehead it's Neilson.
It might have been the first time Panthers have been shut out on their own ice since November 21 2009, 148 games since they went down to the Giants, also 4-0.
However, they have been beset by injuries all season and have endured a brutal schedule of late, including two gruelling games against a Belfast side which has been imperious in the league.
But despite all that, Neilson refuses to look for excuses when it comes to the first leg.
"Four games in seven nights is tough. It's going to be five in nine and that's harder," he said.
"Everyone looked sluggish but it's a poor excuse at this time of the season.
"We were certainly flat but I want to stay away from excuses. I expected more.
"Every time this team has gone and done something well we tend to do something like that. It's a very strange animal.
"Braehead executed very well and our execution was very poor. We didn't turn the puck over a tonne. We got it in deep and were first to pucks but when we got possession we didn't really accomplish anything.
"Every time there was a 50/50 battle they out-muscled our forwards down low which shocked me."
Neilson admits losing the first goal was a killer blow as it allowed Braehead to play a smart brand of hockey which kept Panthers at arm's length.
"We found it difficult to get through after the first goal. It was a different set-up from the one we saw from Belfast all those times we've played them in the last week," he said.
"It's something Strachs (assistant coach Rick Strachan) and I'll have to adjust to. The first goal was a tough one. Killer (netminder Craig Kowalski) got caught cheating on a breakaway and their guy lifted a good shot in.
"Breakdowns and mistakes happen but at this time of the year they kill you."
One slight ray of hope is that Neilson should have an almost full line-up to choose from again, though he will be missing centre Brandon Benedict with a hand injury, who is set to be replaced by Joonas Saari. How much energy those players can muster is a different matter.
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