Giants' Season Ends With Shootout Defeat in Glasgow

First Period

The Giants had the first chance of the game when Ben Lake was denied from straight in front by Sami Aittokallio before Mick Messner went up the other end and Jake Kupsky had to be equally as alert to deny him. Bo Hanson soon had a chance saved before he was sent to the penalty box for hooking.

Ultimately, that penalty was killed but Brett Neumann was threatening not once but twice soon after with Kupsky once again being in fine fettle to deny these Clan attacks. Aittokallio made a good reaction save with his shoulder to deny Brandon Whistle before he got enough on a Jake Gaudet shot to see it trickle past the post. The final big chance of the first came via Colton Poolman as he fizzed a shot wide to see us into the first intermission goalless.

Second Period

The second period started with a bang when the visitors took the lead on the night and levelled the tie on aggregate. This was thanks to Brady Risk who cleverly used the skates of Kupsky to divert the puck into the net from a narrow angle (1-0). The hosts had the momentum on their side after this and continued to press for more as Poolman and Tristin Langan tested Kupsky before Whistle was sent to the penalty box for slashing.

During these two minutes, Kupsky denied Chris McKay and Neumann yet again before he was beaten by Langan at his near post which saw Glasgow take the lead on aggregate. (2-0) The visitors were on the back foot at this stage but they responded well. Reid Irwin almost caught out Aittokallio at his near post before JJ Piccinich forced a good save from the Clan’s Finnish stopper.

Adam Keefe’s men continued to press and, after Carsen Twarynski had a shot deflected into the screen, they were level again on aggregate. It was Mike Lee who hammered home a puck from near the blue line through a few bodies who screened in front of the net. (2-1). This meant that the game was very much in the balance heading into the final period.

Third Period

At the beginning of the third, it was the away side who had the better of the chances. Hanson fired wide and Lee and Piccinich forced saves from Aittokallio. Irwin then made a critical block from Brayden Burke at the other end before Kawaguchi and Guay came close.

The end-to-end nature of this one continued as the pendulum of momentum swung the way of the hosts with Neumann once again denied by a superb save by Kupsky. Daniel Tedesco was repelled too before a Messner shot was saved leading to an almighty net-front scramble but a host of Giants’ bodies got in the way as Rylan Schwartz tried to dig out the rebound. Neither side could seal the win in regulation meaning the tie would head to overtime.

Overtime

It was the hosts who had the first chance in overtime with Messner streaking away with the game on his stick but Kupsky came up big again. He also denied Langan before the visitors had chances of their own to win it. First, Kawaguchi slid wide before the puck was worked back to Gabe Bast whose shot almost squirmed by Aittokallio but didn’t cross the line.

This meant that the Giants’ play-off fate would be decided in a shoot-out and the Clan scored their first two through Messner and Neumann which put the pressure on the away side. Despite Piccinich’s successful effort, ultimately, Aittokallio stood tall to deny Whistle in the decisive effort and sent his side to Nottingham next weekend. (3-1)