Elite League: Belfast Giants secure dramatic shootout win over Nottingham Panthers

Belfast Giants secured a dramatic 3-2 penalty shootout win away to the Nottingham Panthers on Sunday.

Trailing 2-0 for most of the game, the Giants scored two late goals through Scott Conway and Mark Cooper - the latter in the last second of the third period - to force the game into overtime.

The game progressed to a penalty shootout with Giants netminder Jackson Whistle repelling all five home efforts and Conway converting what proved to be the winner to secure two points.

The Giants conceded two goals in 12 seconds in the opening period as the Nottingham Panthers looked to put a dent in the visitors' Elite League title ambitions.

Robbie Baillargeon scored both the home side's goals, the American forward reacting quickest to a rebound to fire home from mid-slot with little over four minutes to the first interval.

He then stunned the Giants with a quickfire second goal just moments after the restart.

Belfast got a lifeline late in the game as Scott Conway found the net with a little over 10 minutes left in the third period.

Then, chasing an equaliser, the Giants left it late to force the game into sudden death overtime with Mark Cooper scoring for the visitors with just one second left on the clock.

With no goals in overtime, the game went to a penalty shootout with Whistle and Conway playing their crucial roles to secure victory.