Disappointment as Stingrays let things slip

Sylvain Cloutier's side went down 5-2 at Newcastle Vipers before suffering a 6-3 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Panthers.

Hull held a 3-1 advantage going into the third period against Panthers at Hull Arena after three goals in seven second-period minutes from Jeff Glowa, Konstantin Kalmikov and Curtis Huppe.

But Panthers hit back with a vengeance in the final session, David Clarke's hauling them level within five minutes of the third session before Jade Galbraith - who had scored the visitors' opener - Cameron Mann and Sean McAslan all finding the net.

Against Newcastle, Lee Esders gave Hull the lead at 7.24 before Kalmikov's short-handed strike at 22.28 extended the visitors' advantage. But three goals in four minutes from Dean Holland, David Longstaff and Matus Petricko turned the game around before the end of the second period.

Things got worse when Matic Kralj extended Vipers' lead early in the final period before Longstaff wrapped up victory with an empty-net goal a minute before time.

Cloutier - out for the last four weeks with a knee injury - returned to the ice against Nottingham and was left bitterly disappointed at how his side were overrun in the third period.

"We played perfect hockey for the first two periods and did a great job offensively," said Cloutier.

"But then everything just fell apart. They had two defencemen in the box for 12 minutes each and were playing forwards on 'D.

"That's when you have to take full advantage, but for some reason we couldn't get going and sat back."