NOTTINGHAM Panthers finally delivered the dominant home win their fans crave as they beat Dundee Stars 5-1 on Saturday night.
Two first period goals from David Clarke were followed by strikes from Evan Mosey and Mike Berube in the second. Nathan Robinson then gave the crowd the sort of fireworks they expect from a player of his calibre with an incredible fifth.
Dundee were undoubtedly a poor side, but they were despatched with early style. Craig Kowalski missed out on a shutout when Rob Ricci scored in the third period but the game was well won by then.
Panthers also answered critics who say they are a soft touch with two fights, one for Bryan Schmidt and one for the unlikely figure of Jonathan Boxill.
Sheffield's Jason Hewitt might be known as the British bulldog, seemingly for sniping like an irritating poodle at the neighbour's ankles, but Boxill showed he has true bulldog spirit by springing up from the ice and delivering some well-aimed blows to the much bigger Paul Mitchell after the Dundee man dished out an almighty hit on him.
Panthers were on their game from the second the puck dropped. They dominated the first period, out-shooting Dundee 16-3. Fine work by Robinson saw him set up Chris Lawrence, but he failed to make clean contact with his shot, not for the first time.
It was four minutes before Craig Kowalski even touched the puck as Stars, featuring former Panther Matt Ryan, struggled to get out of their own zone. Defencemen Berube and Charles Landry were both kept out by Marc Cheverie on the same shift before Boxill hit the post during a power play when Greg Jacina's shot was only half saved.
It was 1-0 when Dundee gave the puck away terribly as they looked to spark an attack. It fell perfectly for Clarke and he made no mistake, wristing a finish high to Cheverie's right.
Dundee almost levelled totally against the run of play when Shane Lust capitalised on a Cody Wild error to get a shot away. Kowalski got his glove on it but could not quite hold on as the puck dropped over his shoulder and rested against the base of the post for what seemed like an eternity before it was scrambled clear.
Incisive passing from first Bruce Graham and then Lee almost saw Rob Lachowicz twice almost score but it took until 19.36 for the second goal to come.
Panthers were comfortably killing an awful Stars power play when Mosey did brilliantly to win the puck and release Clarke.
Once again, he was unerring in his finish as he wristed in his fifth of the season. The period ended with Igor Gongalsky nonsensically starting a fight with Schmidt.
It ended in a draw but meant Dundee were a man down at the start of the second period. Panthers capitalised with a goal at 22.00 when Cheverie saved from Mosey but the stand-in forward was there to tuck away the rebound and make it 3-0.
The game flowed in the same way for long spells of the second period with Cheverie enduring a busy night. Robinson showed he was undoubtedly the most gifted player on the ice with a tremendous piece of skill before prodding wide and then Mosey missed out on his second by a matter of inches when Cheverie spilled another shot.
Graham could have made it 4-0 when he went around the net minder from Robinson's pass but then shot wide from a tight angle.
Berube got his first goal of the season and Panthers' fourth of the night after 33.52 though in similar fashion to Mosey. His first shot was blocked, possibly by a team-mate screening in front, but he followed in to roof the puck with a pin point backhand shot.
Dundee finally came into the game in the last five minutes of the period as Ricci missed the target when clear and then Kowalski made an amazing save from Chris Blight, gloving a one on one. The shot count at the end of the second period stood at 30-9.
Boxill's admiral bout of street justice aside, the third period got off to a slower start. Wild did force a shot against the post but the goals had dried up, for a while at least.
Dundee got one back at 52.07 when Kowalski saved from Gongalsky but two Dundee men were waiting to tuck the rebound into the empty net. Ricci got their first for the simplest of goals.
Kowalski was promptly replaced by Dan Green having missed out on a shutout. Green earned his crust with a brilliant double save with four minutes left.
Robinson rounded off the scoring with an incredible fifth as he slipped the puck through Gongalsky's legs, glided across another defenceman and then roofed the puck at 56.24.
