Giants Win in Coventry to Finish Regular Season

First Period

Alex Caffi started the first off with a good save from a Jordan Power effort before the Giants went on an early powerplay when Artem Buzoverya was sat down for high sticking. While he watched on, the Giants took the lead when Scott Conway scorched a one-time shot past Mat Robson via a Josh Roach pass. (0-1)

The two defencemen wearing number 7, Reid Irwin and Connor Russell, each tested the opposite goaltender before Jordan Kawaguchi sat down for slashing. The Giants killed that power play with a William Boysen shot that flicked over the top, the closest the hosts came. Shortly after returning to full strength, Belfast doubled its advantage through Ben Lake, who poked one home after a Carter Hamill assist. (0-2)

Kim Tallberg then took a seat in the penalty box for tripping, but the Giants couldn’t trouble the home net on this occasion. The Blaze halved the deficit soon after when Alessio Luciani finished well past Caffi with Boysen credited with the assist (1-2). They almost came all the way back to level before the first intermission when Jack Hopkins rattled the post, but the visitors led after 20 minutes.

Second Period

The Giants had the first good chance of the second period when Roach found himself in front of the net, but his shot was saved by Robson. However, the visitors did not have to wait long for their third goal when Nicolas Guay finished well from a narrow angle (1-3). Buzoverya tried to answer back for the Blaze before the Giants rained shots down on the home goal. Lake tried a shot before Kawaguchi was denied on the breakaway.

Ben Freeman forced a good stop from Robson in the home goal before the hosts thought they had a goal, but Adam Robbins’ effort was ruled out for offside. However, Kevin Moore’s men did get the puck in the net, and this time it counted when Matthew Gleason rattled one home via Lucinai’s pass. (2-3)

The Giants had to kill a late penalty when Lake was penalised for holding, but, in actuality, the best chance in those two minutes was a short-handed effort from Irwin that went just wide, meaning it was still a one-goal advantage heading into the second intermission.

Third Period

The visitors went on the offensive early in the third and opened up a gap in the scoring again after less than a minute, thanks to Kawaguchi, who finished nicely after good work in front of the net from Jake Gaudet (2-4). As was the case throughout the evening, the hosts would not lie down and, after Power fizzed one over the top, Grant Mismash finished well from one knee. (3-4)

After Twarynski shot wide, the game see-sawed again when Conway snaffled up a rebound after Brandon Whistle’s shot was parried into his path by Robson. (3-5) The Blaze ensured that it would be a grandstand finish when Power scored with two and a half minutes left on the clock (4-5). That saw a siege on Caffi’s net with the best chance coming via a Robbins effort, but, ultimately, Adam Keefe’s men held on to round off the regular season with a hard-earned win.

Up Next

Saturday 11 April will be the last game at The SSE Arena, Belfast this season, as the Glasgow Clan will be the visitors in the play-off quarter-final first leg.