Challenge Cup holders the Nottingham Panthers beat last season's Elite League play-off champions the Belfast Giants in a penalty shootout in their opening game of the new league season.
The sides were locked at 3-3 after overtime after a topsy-turvy encounter. Tim Cook and Mike Bayrack put the Giants 2-0 up but David Clarke halved the deficit before the first period was out and David Beauregard and Matthew Myers put Nottingham 3-2 up early in the third.
Brett Hemingway equalised and there was no score in extra-time and Jonathan Zion scored twice in the shootout before Jade Galbraith netted the crucial goal.
It is not the result new Giants coach Doug Christiansen would have hoped for after months of planning and preparation.
The Giants are heading to Cardiff where they take on the Devils on Sunday evening.
Meanwhile, Sheffield Steelers hammered Cardiff Devils 5-1 in Saturday night's other game. Ashley Tait, Joey Talbot, Jerramie Dormish, Jeff Legue and Robert Dowd were the men on target for the Yorkshire side, with Scott Matzka netting the Devils' consolation.
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