IF Nottingham Panthers' fast-fading bid to win a first Elite League title goes down the pan once again, it won't just be because of their 5-3 loss to red-hot favourites Coventry Blaze.

After all, there have been enough poor performances among their 16 defeats this season to account for any lost points that might have overhauled Blaze at the top of the table.

But Panthers' setback at the Skydome, which makes their title quest nigh-on impossible, was out of their hands.

And one has to ask why one of the least experienced officials on the league list was given the most important game of the weekend?

With the best two teams in the league going at it full throttle and proving a great spectacle for a packed arena, we had to have referee Dean Smith deciding the outcome at one of the most intimidating places in UK hockey.

There were just far too many needless penalties handed out.

But when the home fans started chanting, "the referee's a Panther", you just knew things would turn sour for the visitors. And so it turned out.

From the half-way point of a thrilling game, after Panthers had just equalised to make it 3-3 on a 5-on-3 power-play, Smith decided to call seven successive penalties on the visitors.

And the sixth, a tripping call on player-coach Corey Neilson after he had dived to swat the puck away into the corner from the rampaging Luke Fulghum, proved crucial.

A team as good as Coventry don't need a second chance and they duly scored on the power-play in the 45th minute, Brad Cruikshank netting a rebound close-in.

And then they got the last minute empty-netter to put a lop-sided look on the scoreboard.

Neilson said afterwards: "I don't want it to sound like sour grapes, but everyone has an off-night and the ref just had his.

"Coventry are a good side and like all top teams, they take advantage and win at home, just like we do.

"But we've not given up on anything yet.

"There are enough chinks in the Coventry side for them to hopefully have problems down the stretch.

"And if we string a run together and put pressure on them, you never know what might happen."

The game started at a cracking pace and after Panthers – who had Nick Toneys in for the injured Dominic D'Amour – had killed off a first-minute penalty to Cameron Mann, Blaze went in front.

As Stephen Lee tried to clear the zone, he was tugged by an attacker and his intended pass was picked off by Greg Chambers who fired high past Kevin St Pierre (3.21).

Less than a minute later, Panthers were level. Marty Gascon won the puck centre ice and sent in Jade Galbraith to drill home.

Mann came close to putting the visitors in front when his effort drifted past the post. But in the ninth minute, David Clarke did make it 2-1 as Panthers piled on the pressure, tipping in from Galbraith.

It didn't take long for Coventry to level again, Neilson this time being hampered in his clearance to leave Greg Owen free to score on the power-play.

It was a great opening period and there was no let-up in the second, when Blaze capitalised on a slack Panthers' power-play.

They broke from half-way for Russ Cowley to feed Danny Stewart in front of St Pierre's goal to score short-handed (21.12).

But three successive Coventry penalties saw Panthers haul themselves level again at 3-3 (26.44), with Mann's shot from the high slot too hot for Peter Hirsch.

With the home fans howling their displeasure, it was Panthers' turn, perhaps inevitably, to beat a steady trail to the penalty box.

But the excellent St Pierre and the penalty-killing units held firm despite Panthers seemingly playing 3-on-5 hockey for the rest of the period.

Of course, the extra ice-time for their key players didn't help Panthers one bit and they finally cracked in the 44th minute after Smith's ridiculous call on Neilson.

And the howler was exacerbated when the fifth went in from Cowley on the unguarded net as Panthers put out the extra skater with 49 seconds left.

Frustrations boiled over at the final hooter when Bruce Richardson went at it with Fulghum, but the damage had been done.

Let's hope we have a referee to match the occasion when Panthers face Sheffield in the second leg of the Challenge Cup semi-final at the NIC on Wednesday.

mick.holland@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk