Giants Defeat Devils to Advance to Playoff Final

FIRST PERIOD

A fast start from both sides saw the Giants create the first definitive scoring opportunity as Daniel Tedesco’s early shot stung the gloves of Devils’ Ben Bowns before being safely ushered down the ice.

After Josh Roach sat for a two-minute tripping penalty, it was Jackson Whistle who would next be called into action when a Devils shot came through a crowd of bodies, but the Giants’ netminder was equal to the task.

Sustained Cardiff pressure required a big defensive effort from the Giants, and after a flurry of efforts on target, Jackson Whistle stood firm, with the help of a crucial block from Travis Brown, keeping the scores level midway through the opening period.

It was then the Giants’ turn to go on offence, with attempts from Ben Lake, Jacob Friend, and Bobby MacIntyre calling Ben Bowns into action.

With only a few minutes remaining in the period, the Giants once again found themselves a man down as Ben Lake was penalised for slashing. The Devils went close to netting the game’s opener when Riley Brandt tipped the puck goalward, only to be denied by a fine pad save from Jackson Whistle.

SECOND PERIOD

The Giants started the period the stronger of the two sides, with early efforts from Mark Cooper, Sean Norris, and Kohei Sato needing Ben Bowns to quickly add to his nine first period saves.

Soon after, Bowns kept Devils in the game once again, after a thunderous shot from Oliver Cooper required a big pad save.

After Cole Sandford was sent to the penalty box for roughing, Bowns continued to be the difference maker for the Devils as he denied Kohei Sato’s close-range effort from breaking the deadlock.

However, Daniel Tedesco rattling the Devils’ bar was a sign of things to come, as Blake Speers finished off a fantastic pass from Greg Prinz at the backdoor to give the Giants the advantage. (0-1)

THIRD PERIOD

Responding well to going behind, the Devils created a number of early chances, with Evan Mosey and Jamie Arniel having the best in the early goings.

At the other end of the ice, Ciaran Long’s tipped effort towards the Devils goal was quickly shutdown by Ben Bowns, keeping the deficit to just one.

After Mark Cooper was sent to the penalty box for a cross-check, the Devils’ powerplay piled pressure onto the Giants’ net, and they were finally rewarded when Cody Donaghey fired the puck into the roof of Jackson Whistle’s goal with less than two-minute remaining to send the game to overtime. (1-1)

OVERTIME

Josh Roach and Daniel Tedesco saw efforts turned away by the formidable Ben Bowns, before the Devils launched a counter-attack on Jackson Whistle’s goal, only for the Giants’ netminder to parry away a Cole Sandford shot.

After a back-and-forth exchange, which saw both sides have good opportunities to win the game, Ben Lake found an oncoming Greg Printz, who sent the Giants’ fans into pandemonium with two-minutes left on the clock. (1-2)

Next up, the Stena Line Belfast Giants will take on the Sheffield Steelers in the final of the 2023/24 Elite League Playoff Finals at 5pm on Sunday 21 April.