High Fife for Giants to Continue Their Flying Start

First Period

The Giants got off on the front foot but efforts from Patrick Guay and Ty Prefontaine couldn’t find the target while Mason Klee’s shot was blocked before it reached the net. The first chance for the visitors came through Kyle Watson whose effort was tipped over the trop by Jackson Whistle.

Morten Jensen then slid wide from a narrow angle before Jake Gaudet forced a good save from Jordan McLaughlin. Fife then did well to kill a penalty served by Victor Bjorkung for tripping and followed it up with a good effort from Joona Vainio that had eyes to get through a crowd of bodies but was repelled by Whistle.

Christian Berger’s attempted wraparound was stopped at the near post by McLaughlin before the Flyers goalie made a stunning save with his back foot to deny JJ Piccinich. Scott Conway fizzed one over the bar after the Giants also killed a penalty served by Klee for boarding meaning we went into the first intermission goalless.

Second Period

The Flyers came out of the gates quickest after the restart and Evan Dougherty whistled a shot just over the top before Isack Bandu forced a nice save from Whistle. The Giants responded with an effort from Piccinich before Whistle had to be alert to first deny Cameron Hough and then, while sprawled on the ice, repel Chase Dubois.

However, this was merely a warning shot as, on 26:34, Hough smashed home the opener from a Xander Lamppa pass (0-1). Flyers captain Garet Hunt came close to a quick-fire second but was denied at close range by Whistle again and this seemed to jolt the hosts into life. First Jensen tried his luck before McLaughlin made a stunning stop to deny Patrick Guay from close range.

The equaliser would come on 34:08 as Klee put the puck on a plate for Piccinich to finish from close range (1-1). This seemed to tip the scales in favour of the home side and they took the lead for the first time in the evening 90 seconds later when Ciaran Long pounced on a loose puck and scored a well-taken unassisted goal (2-1).

Third Period

The Flyers had a pair of penalties ate in the second that carried into the third and the Giants took advantage with Conway hammering home a lay-off from Nicolas Guay on 41:05 (3-1). It would have been easy for Fife to fold at this but, to their credit, they didn’t and they cut into that home lead thanks to a well-taken goal from Joey Pierce on 45:52 (3-2).

The game continued to be an even affair with the visitors giving as good as they got. Whistle had to be alert to deny Vainio again before Jaeden Martin’s effort slipped through McLaughlin’s glove but dropped just short of the goal. However, the hosts pulled away late on as Kaleb Pearson rifled a shot home from a narrow angle on 52:16 after a Cole Shudra pass (4-2) before, with McLaughlin sacrificed for an extra skater, Gaudet slid into the empty net to deal the victory and keep up the Giants’ perfect start to Challenge Cup play. (5-2).

Up Next

The Giants are on the road in Glasgow to take on the Clan today (Sunday) with a 4pm start with the next home game next Sunday (October 4^th) against Dundee Stars. Tickets can be purchased here