Giants Fall Short to Manchester Storm at Home

David Goodwin struck the Giants’ only goal of the game as their lead at the top of the standings was reduced to one point heading into a blockbuster final weekend double-header with the Nottingham Panthers.

First period

The Storm got on the board with their first attack of the game just 27 seconds in, Tom McCollum making the initial save on Joe Morrow’s shot but D’Aoust was following in to sweep in the rebound (0-1) and the Storm winger nearly had a second when Craig Martin drove down the right and flung the puck to the crease but McCollum saved.

But the Giants wouldn’t be behind for long as Goodwin tied it up at 5:31, the winger’s shot hitting the shoulder of David Tendeck and looping in (1-1), although they needed McCollum to make a massive stop in front to deny Martin what looked like an empty net tap-in, the goaltender somehow recovering to make a stunning glove save.

The visitors would forge ahead again at 12:36 as D’Aoust grabbed his second, his long shot through traffic going all the way in with McCollum unsighted (1-2), with the Giants ending the period on the penalty kill as Mark Cooper sat for tripping shortly after Jordan Kawaguchi hit the post from the angle.

Second period

Belfast began the second period by killing off the remainder of Cooper’s penalty and began to lay siege to Tendeck’s net but the Storm netminder was equal to all that was thrown at him, making a string of impressive stops to deny Goodwin and Conway, while Martin and Jake Durflinger both saw big chances fired wide of the cage at the other end for the Storm.

Despite firing no shortage of pucks on net the Giants couldn’t find that breakthrough, Tendeck’s best save coming when Mike Lee ripped a slapshot on target on the powerplay - Stephen Johnson off for tripping - while at the other end McCollum, a virtual spectator in the second period, needed to be sharp when Owen Griffiths fired in from the angle.

A hairy moment for Tendeck saw the Storm netminder fail to properly glove a Gabe Bast effort and the puck trickled inches wide of the net, and the Giants would, like the first period, end the frame on the penalty kill as Zak Galambos was penalised for tripping.

Third period

Once again the Giants started the period by killing off the remainder of the penalty and then Conway was denied in close on the backhand by Tendeck after both he (tripping) and Loren Ulett (elbowing) were penalised but, despite the weight of chances, still the Giants couldn’t find that killer goal.

Instead, the Storm did as D’Aoust completed his hat-trick, a turnover in the defensive zone allowing Martin to feed it back in front for the league’s leading scorer to rip home at 49:08 (1-3), and Tendeck further added to the belief that this was to be the visitors’ night when he made a remarkable shoulder save on a JJ Piccinich effort.

And the Storm would make it safe with two late goals as Johnson sauced the puck over for Tyler Hinam to tip in at 56:44 (1-4)and then Martin made the result safe as he added an empty-netter at 58:40 to round off the scoring (1-5).

Next up

Next up, the Stena Line Belfast Giants prepare for a massive final weekend of the regular season which consists of a home-away double-header with the Nottingham Panthers on Saturday 5 April at The SSE Arena, Belfast and Sunday 6 April at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham.