Giants Fall to Glasgow’s Fast Start

Jordan Kawaguchi and Ciaran Long both found the net on their returns to the line-up for the Giants, who had captain Mark Cooper ejected late in the first period, as they tried to battle back but ultimately couldn’t do enough to secure points.

First period

The Giants had the first look at goal as a lovely passing move from Ben Lake set up Cooper for the shot, but it was well saved by Landon Bow, and instead it would be Glasgow who would take the lead at 4:52 as Steven Seigo worked his way into the right circle and picked the top corner with a fine shot (1-0).

Tom McCollum, having been beaten early, managed to keep the home side from adding on as he stopped two breakaways, the first of which from Liam Finlay was an excellent stop, but he was powerless to prevent Rylan Schwartz from doubling the lead at 12:35 as Mitchell Heard found him alone in front and he deked around the goaltender to slide it in (2-0).

A Gabe Bast roughing penalty nearly yielded goals at both ends as Cole Ully should have tapped in at the back post but couldn’t connect with the pass, then Long hit the post on the breakaway at the other, but Deven Sideroff did add a third for the Clan at 17:47 as his backhand squeezed through the pads of McCollum and in (3-0).

Belfast’s task was made even tougher when captain Cooper was elected late in the period for checking to the head, putting the visitors on the five-minute major penalty.

Second period

A superb effort from the special teams managed to kill off the entirety of Cooper’s penalty, but the Clan added a fourth at 28:30 when Alex Forbes battled through a face-off and passed across the face of the goal for Ully to tap-in (4-0), which prompted head coach Adam Keefe to call a time-out.

He got the response he was looking for as Grant Mismash was inches away from converting a rebound when the puck rebounded off the backboards, before Bow made a stunning glove save to deny Elijiah Barriga for what looked to be a tap-in off an attempted wraparound from Bobo Carpenter’s effort.

But the Giants would make it a two-goal game at the second intermission as they struck twice either side of a Bast slashing penalty, Kawaguchi getting the tip on a Bo Hanson slapshot at 31:58 to get the visitors on the board (4-1) and then Long firing home five-hole on the breakaway at 36:15 (4-2).

Third period

The early exchanges of the final period saw McCollum deny another breakaway chance for the Clan as they pressed for the goal to kill the game, while Barriga had an opportunity on the breakaway himself but shot wide of the goal with Bow beaten.

The Giants’ biggest chance to make it interesting came and went when Joseph Hazeldine was called for holding and the visitors piled on the pressure with the extra man but they couldn’t find a way past Bow to make it a one-goal game, Scott Conway denied in close by Bow as the home side managed to fight back to full strength.

And as time ticked away, Glasgow managed to ice the game when Mitchell Heard broke away and finished on the backhand at 58:25 (5-2) to leave the Giants empty-handed for their hard efforts.

Next up

Next up, the Stena Line Belfast Giants continue their Scottish weekend as they make the trip to the Dundee Stars on Saturday 30 November, with their return to home ice coming on Wednesday 11 December when they welcome the Dundee Stars to The SSE Arena, Belfast. Tickets available to purchase here.