Five-star Giants secure victory over Steelers

First Period

As the game got underway inside an electric SSE Arena, the first chance of the game fell to Gabe Bast who shot just wide. Ryan Tait had the first chance of the night for the visitors before Evan Jasper and Karl Boudrias traded shots that were saved.

However, Jasper would have another shot soon after that Jackson Whistle stopped but the puck was rifled home on the rebound by Mitchell Balmas to open the scoring (0-1). Adam Keefe will have been pleased with his side’s response to this setback as they had a raft of chances soon after. Nicolas Guay forced an excellent save from Matt Greenfield as did Ryan Smith with the puck off his stick squeezing through the Sheffield goalie’s legs but cleared.

The hosts would get their leveller with just over five minutes left in the period when a nice pass from Ciaran Long was hammered home first time by Boudrias for his second goal of the season. (1-1). The Giants had to ride out four total minutes of penalties with Mike Lee and Bo Hanson sat down for high-sticking and tripping respectively. They killed both penalties but not before coming under a barrage of Sheffield shots. Balmas and Dominic Cormier tried their luck on more than one occasion but the home rear-guard remained firm to send us into the first intermission locked at one.

Second Period

The visitors had the first chance of the second as Cormier tipped Brett Ritchie’s effort over. Jake Gaudet was the first to test Greenfield at the other end before the Giants took the lead thanks to Long who turned from provider to scorer as he reacted quickest after Greenfield parried his initial effort. (2-1)

Much like the Giants in the first, the men in orange reacted well to falling behind with shots raining down on Whistle. He did well to tip over Jordan Southorn’s close-range effort before he made a stunning stop from Balmas to preserve the lead.

Lee and Carsen Twarynski tried their luck at the other end before Joona Huttula and Jasper couldn’t finish. Not to be outdone by his opposite number, Greenfield made a simply miraculous save reaching behind him to keep Lee’s goal-bound effort out but there was nothing he could do to prevent Boudrias’ second of the night. The Quebec-born defenceman danced across the face of goal and finished neatly to give the Giants a two-goal lead heading into the second intermission. (3-1)

Third Period

Aaron Fox’s men had to come out strong in the third and they did only for Cormier’s goal-bound shot to strike a Giants’ defender. Greenfield had made a host of excellent saves throughout but he fell victim to an unfortunate bounce off the side netting when Boudrias’ puck on net sprang back in front of goal and David Goodwin slid home into the unguarded cage. (4-1)

The hosts were full of confidence after this and they went chasing more. First, Ryan Smith flicked over the top before Long flicked Garrett McFadden’s pass just wide. The visitors attempted to get themselves back into the game with chances for Balmas and Stephen Harper but Whistle kept them out. With the Steelers on the penalty kill late in the game, the Giants executed the man-advantage perfectly as Marcus Eriksson finished off to seal the victory (5-1).

Up Next

The Steelers stay in town for game two of a double-header tomorrow evening. The puck drops at 7PM and limited tickets are available here.