Nottingham vs Angers

Angers struck first, and fast. Former Cardiff Devils forward Reid Duke put the visitors ahead inside 80 seconds, capitalising on a Mat Robson rebound to tap home from close range, as early Panthers rust showed in front of a full house.

Nottingham settled and levelled through Max Grondin at 12:58 of the first period, sending the teams to the break tied at 1-1.

The Panthers took control in the second period. Grondin struck again at 28:34 on the powerplay — captain Matt Alfaro's shot was saved but Grondin buried the rebound to give the hosts their first lead. Angers coach Jonathan Paredes, returning to the Motorpoint Arena where he coached the Panthers in 2023/24, challenged the play for goaltender interference, but the officials upheld the goal.

Chase Pearson, celebrating his 29th birthday, extended the advantage 84 seconds into the third period. Zach O'Brien delivered a neat pass and Pearson finished to make it 3-1 at 41:24.

Angers responded quickly. Jordan Mugnier deflected home from close range at 42:54, cutting the deficit to one and setting up a tense final 17 minutes.

Nottingham's penalty kill came up big under pressure. Zsombor Garát was called for tripping at 47:19, and Joe Hazeldine followed with a high-sticking minor at 49:01, giving Angers a five-on-three for 18 seconds. The Panthers killed both penalties, with goaltender Kai Edmonds making two close-range saves to preserve the one-goal lead.

Miikka Pitkänen iced the game with an empty-net goal at 58:51, with 69 seconds remaining, to seal the 4-2 victory.

The upheld coach's challenge on Grondin's second goal at 28:34 was the decisive moment. Had Angers won the challenge and had the goal wiped off, the score would have remained 1-1 with momentum shifting. Instead, Nottingham led 2-1 and Paredes lost his timeout in the process. Pearson's early third-period goal then gave the Panthers the breathing room they never surrendered.

Max Grondin — Player of the Match. The 6'4 forward, signed by Nottingham in the off-season, scored twice: first to cancel out Angers' early opener at 12:58, then the powerplay go-ahead goal at 28:34. Both finishes came from close-range rebounds.

Chase Pearson — Celebrated his 29th birthday with a well-taken third-period goal from Zach O'Brien's pass, restoring a two-goal lead moments after the intermission.

Reid Duke — The former Cardiff forward put Angers ahead inside 80 seconds and looked lively throughout, a bright spot for the French visitors on a weekend where they faced two EIHL opponents in as many days.

Kai Edmonds — Made two critical saves during the five-on-three penalty kill in the third period, keeping the score at 3-2 with the game in the balance.

The timeline tells a clear story: Angers controlled the opening shift but Nottingham dictated the middle 40 minutes. Grondin's two-goal split across the first and second periods built the platform, while Pearson's early third-period strike was the hammer blow — Angers pulled within one, but the lead was back to two within 84 seconds. The empty-net goal flattered Nottingham's final margin slightly, but the Panthers led from 28:34 onwards.

Angers played their second game against EIHL opposition in 24 hours — they lost 4-2 in Cardiff on Saturday — which may have contributed to their late-game fade. The Panthers, by contrast, had the energy of a full home crowd behind them for their pre-season opener.

The result gives Nottingham their first pre-season victory of 2026/27 and keeps the Aladdin Cup at the Motorpoint Arena. For head coach Danny Stewart, the performance offered a positive early return from a roster featuring up to 12 new faces, plus returning defencemen Jaakko Niskala and Joe Hazeldine.

Angers, coached by former Panthers boss Jonathan Paredes and featuring ex-Nottingham netminder Alex Dubeau, completed their two-game UK tour having lost both matches to EIHL sides by identical 4-2 scorelines.

Nottingham's next fixture: Saturday 29 August vs Gothiques d'Amiens (home, Motorpoint Arena, 19:00), another French Ligue Magnus opponent.

Angers' next fixture: The Ducs return to France to continue their Ligue Magnus pre-season programme.

A solid, professional start from Nottingham against a competitive French side. The early concession was a reminder that pre-season sharpness takes time, but the response — a controlled middle period, composed third-period penalty killing — showed encouraging depth. Grondin's two goals, Pearson's timely finish, and Edmonds' work in net are building blocks Stewart will want to see carry into the Amiens game next weekend. For Angers, two 4-2 defeats on UK soil is no disgrace; Paredes will have seen enough positives ahead of the Ligue Magnus season.