Giants Secure Four-Point Weekend in Scotland

Whistle turned away 31 of the 33 shots he saw across the game to pick up Player of the Game honours, while Carpenter was the game-winner when he struck the second of his double shortly after the start of the third period to go with goals from Kyle Osterberg and Mark Cooper in the win.

First period

Whistle was the first netminder called into action as a misplay at the blue line allowed Madi Dikhanbek to skate in one-on-one, but he was denied by the netminder before Elijiah Barriga had an effort padded away by former Giants goaltender Shane Owen after a smart poke-check at his own blue line.

The Giants were fortunate not to fall behind when another effort from Dikhanbek struck the post but were then unlucky not to take the lead themselves when Cooper’s rebound effort from a Ciaran Long slapshot hit the post, with a long review determining it hadn’t actually crossed the line, with Fife able to kill off an interference call on Dikhanbek shortly after.

Fife had an opportunity when Artur Gatiyatov set up Nikolai Shulga in the slot, but Whistle stood tall to deny him before Owen flashed his glove to deny Carpenter as he walked up the centre of the ice, with the Giants ending the period on the powerplay after Noah Delmas tripped up Cooper.

Second period

Osterberg nearly broke the deadlock seconds after the restart when his one-timer was gloved down by Owen, but it wouldn’t take long for the former Flyer to put the Giants ahead as he was found in the slot by Ben Lake on the rush and he slid it home five-hole on Owen for the opener at 23:32 (0-1).

Fife would tie it at 28:41 as another former Giant, Johnny Curran, forced the neutral ice turnover and beat Whistle on the one-on-one breakaway (1-1), and an elbowing penalty against Joe Cassetti put the Flyers on the powerplay, but the best chance fell shorthanded to Bo Hanson on the breakaway only for the defenceman’s shot to find Owen’s glove.

Mike Lee came close to a first goal in a Giants jersey when he hit the post from the left circle, and Whistle produced a fantastic glove save to deny Lucas Chiodo from between the hash marks on a Hanson roughing penalty before Carpenter struck with 49.9 seconds left in the period, his pass to the crease deflected in by a Flyers skate (1-2).

Third period

A strong start to the third from the Giants saw them dominate possession and zone time and they were duly rewarded when Carpenter doubled their lead just 1:57 in, seizing on a bobbling puck in front and lifting it over the pad of Owen and into the roof of the net (1-3), before Whistle made two impressive saves on breakaways to deny both Phélix Martineau and Nikolai Shulga.

But a high sticking call on Mason Alderson would give the Flyers their route back in, the Giants missing a huge two-man shorthanded breakaway and Chiodo making them pay when he beat Whistle on the backhand at 46:24 (2-3). It needed a monster save from Whistle to deny Michael Cichy’s penalty shot midway through the period to maintain the lead.

Grant Mismash had an opportunity from the right circle with the one-timer that Owen gobbled up before Fife turned up the pressure, Whistle saving strongly from Patrick Kyte’s powerful one-timer, but Cooper got a crucial goal at 55:08 to settle some nerves with his shot from the blue-line aided by a screen in front by Cassetti to go in off the post (2-4).

The Flyers kept pushing to try and get back into the game and Kyte was once again denied by the pad of Whistle and the netminder shut the door even when Owen was pulled for the extra skater, his final stop on Daniel Krenzelok capping off a fine performance.

UP NEXT

The Belfast Giants’ Challenge Cup campaign continues next weekend against the Dundee Stars, with the Giants taking on the Scottish side at The SSE Arena on Saturday 14^th September at 7pm. Tickets are available here.