Ice Hockey: Caps stun Panthers in their den

Former US college star Curtis Leinweber grabbed the game winner as Caps stunned the Lace City crowd and returned to Murrayfield with two valuable Elite League points. However, it was goalie Tomas Hiadlovsky who turned in a man-of-the-match performance, making 41 saves as the Caps held on for a surprise victory.

Hiadlovsky said: “Everyone played very well, the match turned out just as we had discussed it in the locker room beforehand. This is a very important win for us.”

“We’ve been playing well recently and this result, along with our win last weekend in Sheffield, has given us the belief that we can beat any team.”

Those sentiments echoed by player-coach Richard Hartmann who said: “Everyone gave it their all, we have played well in our last six games, and now we are starting to prove it with our results. We are all playing hard for this team and I’m proud of the boys.”

Nottingham, who had won their last seven straight games, opened the scoring in only 81 seconds through ex-NHL forward David Ling, with Slovakian power-forward Peter Holecko replying for the visitors midway through the second period, setting the scene for Leinweber’s game winner at 43.18. The result pulls the Capitals to within a point of Gardiner Conference rivals Hull Stingrays and Fife Flyers and a top eight play-off spot. The Caps’ campaign continues with a home clash against Braehead Clan on Sunday,