Giants Snuff Flames to Hit Top Spot Again

Jordan Kawaguchi struck the opening goal of the game before Mark Cooper, Jeff Baum, Pierre-Olivier Morin and Ben Lake all found the net in the second period to lead the Giants to an important win on home ice.

First period

A strong opening shift saw Kawaguchi test Jake Kupsky early, with Karl Boudrias and J.J. Piccinich also drawing saves from the Flames netminder, before Tom McCollum was called into action for the first time to deny Josh Waller as he sped down the left wing. Even when the Giants were short-handed - David Goodwin called for hooking - they came closest to breaking the deadlock when Piccinich was first to a clearance but hit the post with his back-handed shot in close.

Ethan Strang was the next to come close to opening the scoring when he drew a big pad save from McCollum from the right circle before the Giants got their first powerplay opportunity as Austin Glover sat for cross-checking, and it was on the man advantage they took the lead at 11:38 as Kawaguchi beat Kupsky short-side from the left circle (1-0).

The Giants had an immediate chance to grab a second as Daniel Catenacci was called for holding but Kupsky made two big saves to deny Scott Conway from the left circle and then Kawaguchi in close, while the home side had a late chance to add a second as the top line rushed forward only for Conway to be denied from a tight angle by Kupsky.

Second period

A hot start to the middle frame for Guildford saw them nearly take the lead when Brett Welychka and Daniel Tedesco skated in but overplayed the chance and then McCollum saved from Sam Talbot from the right circle, while Kupsky once again made a superb stop as Elijiah Barriga fed Bobo Carpenter crashing the net at the other end.

But Guildford would tie it up at 25:38 through Catenacci, who was able to slap in Tedesco’s feed off a Giants turnover (1-1). However the game wouldn’t be tied for long as after killing off a boarding penalty on Lake, Cooper was able to restore the Belfast lead at 28:47 as he found the net from a seemingly impossible angle (2-1) before the game turned chaotic.

Baum’s goal, which saw the defenceman laser a slapshot from distance into the net at 33:42 (3-1), was followed by Morin sweeping in the rebound off Carpenter’s initial effort just 75 seconds later (4-1), only for Tedesco to pull one back for the Flames when his hopeful shot from distance squeezed under the glove of McCollum at 36:25 (4-2).

However, the Giants would lead by three at the second intermission as Cooper turned provider for Lake just 20 seconds after conceding, the captain centring the puck to the crease for his centre to tap-in at 36:45 for the fifth (5-2).

Third period

McCollum survived a scary moment early in the third when he failed to hold a long-range shot and Lewis Hook nearly poked in the rebound as it sat in the crease, only for the netminder to recover just in time, but he was more than alert to deny Jack Jacome as the Guildford winger drove in down the right wing and was unable to stuff the puck in.

And that would be enough to do it for the Giants in a final period that flew by, the only action in the closing stages seeing the home side kill another penalty on Lake, this one for interference, as Keefe’s men retook top spot in style.

Next up

Next up, the Stena Line Belfast Giants continue a run of three more home games at The SSE Arena, Belfast in the space of a week, with two games against the Fife Flyers on Wednesday March 26 and Saturday March 29, with the Manchester Storm coming to Belfast on Sunday March 30. Tickets are on sale and available to purchase here.

Photos by Darren Kidd, Press Eye.