High Five As Giants See Off Glasgow Threat

Five different scorers found the back of the net as the Stena Line Belfast Giants roared back to winning ways in the Elite League with a 5-1 victory over the Glasgow Clan at The SSE Arena, Belfast on Sunday afternoon.

With netminder Tom McCollum producing an excellent 31-save performance, goals from Karl Boudrias, Scott Conway, Grant Mismash, Bobo Carpenter and J.J. Piccinich secured the two points from Adam Keefe’s men on home ice.

First period

Landon Bow was the first goaltender called into action when a puck thrown against the backboards rebounded in front and the Giants nearly scrambled it home at the crease, but the home side would go ahead at 6:35 in bizarre circumstances as Grant Mismash’s shot was saved by the shoulder of Bow but rebounded into the head of Boudrias and into the net (1-0).

Both sides had big chances on a Simon Despres hooking penalty midway through the period, Kyle Osterberg managing to dig the puck out of his feet to shoot backhanded but saved by a superb outstretched pad from Bow, while at the other end just as the penalty expired Chris McKay flashed an effort wide as the visitors broke three-on-one at pace.

What the Clan couldn’t do, the Giants could, Conway producing a brilliant finish from the right circle on the three-on-one breakaway at 14:44 to double the lead (2-0), although Mitchell Heard nearly made it a one-goal game at the intermission as his shot from long range cranked off the crossbar, although Mark Cooper almost added a third as the Giants went straight up the other end, flashing his effort wide off Ben Lake’s drop pass.

Second period

Glasgow began the second period by killing off the holder of an interference penalty against Robert Lachowicz but the Giants kept the pressure up and Ben Lake nearly tipped in a Mismash pass to the slot, while Liam Finlay nearly got Glasgow on the board when he was inches from tipping in a pass by Cole Ully on the rush.

After a fairly quiet first period, McCollum was called into action when Tyson McLellan got in behind the Giants’ defence and shot from the angle but the netminder saved low, while the home side were unable to capitalise on a too many men penalty against their visitors despite spending nearly the entirety of the powerplay hemmed in the Glasgow zone.

But at the second time of asking the Giants would get the job done, a slashing call against Michael Pelech seeing Mismash strike on the powerplay as he jammed the puck in from close range at the back post at 36:03 (3-0), with Keefe’s side finishing the period on a high as they played out a tripping call against Josh Roach.

Third period

Despite holding a comfortable lead, it was the Giants who did most of the early pressing in the third as Boudrias’ shot from long range got a tip in front and Bow did well to turn it wide, while McCollum did the same at the other end as McLellan fired on goal twice, while Liam Finlay shot wide after picking up on a Giants giveaway in their own zone.

Eventually the glut of chances would pay off and the Clan did make it a two-goal game at 50:43 as McCollum dealt with Lachowicz’s initial shot but the rebound sat invitingly for Pelech to tap it in (3-1), with head coach Keefe calling the timeout to steady the ship in the aftermath of the goal.

Darien Kielb came close to reducing the deficit to one when he got a tip on a pass in front, only to see McCollum swallow it up, and from there the Giants closed it out in style, Pierre-Olivier Morin setting Carpenter up for the tap-in on the two-on-one breakaway at 54:47 (4-1) and then Piccinich rounding it off at 57:30 with the breakaway finish (5-1).

Next up

Next up, the Stena Line Belfast Giants continue their run of home fixtures by welcoming the Guildford Flames to The SSE Arena, Belfast on Friday 22 November before heading back on the road the following day for a trip to the Nottingham Panthers on Saturday 23 November. Tickets are on sale now and available to purchase here.

Image Credit - Philip Magowan, Press Eye.