Giants' European Run Ended In Bern

The home side, led by a hat-trick by Swedish forward Emil Bemström, were on top form and means the Giants’ European run has come to an end for another season.

First period

Bern got off to the perfect start as they took the lead just 37 seconds in, Bemström’s shot hitting the post and then trickling over the line in the melee at the net (1-0), with Jackson Whistle keeping the deficit at one when he denied Thierry Schild’s close-in backhand before the Giants’ first foray saw Bo Hanson and Patrick Grasso draw saves from Adam Reideborn.

Bemström found his second at 7:19 when he found a pocket of space at the back door and tapped in off Miro Aaltonen’s cross-crease feed (2-0) and Benjamin Baumgartner drew a big save from Whistle after Grasso once again came close to beating Reideborn, only for the Bern netminder to glove down his backhand rebound effort.

The hosts’ third would come on the powerplay as a tripping call against Nicolas Guay led to Alain Graf managing to force the puck under the sprawling Whistle in a netfront scramble at 13:59 (3-0), and Whistle had to produce two outstanding one-on-one stops to deny Bemström his hat-trick and then Victor Ejdsell before the hooter.

Second period

Bern started the second period strongly and Aaltonen almost added a fourth early on but fired just wide, although when Ben Lake was called for cross-checking it was nearly the Giants who struck as Jake Gaudet’s shorthanded effort was just deflected over the crossbar by a defenceman’s stick.

Marco Müller would add Bern’s fourth at 28:46 as he brought the puck back in front, turned and found the top corner (4-0), and the fifth came at 33:53 as Levin Moser reversed into the crease, got his shot away and, although Whistle made the initial save, Baumgartner was there to put away the rebound (5-0).

A boarding call on Fabian Ritzmann put the Giants on their first powerplay of the game but, despite plenty of zone time, they couldn’t force Reideborn into a telling save and the home side were able to get to the second intermission without any damage to the scoreboard.

Third period

Alexis Gravel replaced Whistle in net for the final period but just two minutes in Bemström completed his hat-trick when a puck off the backboards fell perfectly for him to put into the roof of the net (6-0), and Nils Rhyn would add the seventh at 52:11 when he fired a one-timer from the high slot that beat an unsighted Gravel (7-0).

Despite pushing late for a goal to take back to Belfast, the Giants couldn’t find a way past a resolute Reideborn, who turned away a couple of late shots to maintain his shut-out until the final buzzer.

Next up

The Belfast Giants return to Challenge Cup action at the weekend with another Scottish double-header, travelling to the Glasgow Clan on Saturday October 11 before welcoming the Fife Flyers to The SSE Arena, Belfast on Sunday October 12, followed by their final Champions League regular season fixture against Swedish side Brynäs IF on Tuesday October 14.