Good Win for Giants as Flames Doused

A potential goal of the season contender from Kohei Sato kicked off the game for Adam Keefe’s men, with Goodwin adding on in the first and third periods as Whistle shut the door at the other end for the two points on a night where captain Mark Cooper returned to the line-up after two-and-a-half months out.

First period

Whistle had to come up with a huge stop in the first 30 seconds as Ryan Tait went on the breakaway but was denied by the netminder, before the Great Britain international got down low to deny the same man from the right circle, with Will Cullen flashing an effort wide from the slot off Goodwin’s centring backhand.

The opening goal when it came was a stunner, though, as Sato wrapped the puck around the back of the net, showed great strength to battle back into the slot and fired top corner over the glove side of Taz Burman at 9:40 (1-0), and the lead was nearly doubled shortly after when Matt McLeod fed the puck back in front for Ara Nazarian but his one-timer was superbly saved by Burman’s shoulder.

But Belfast would have two on the board before the intermission as Ben Lake and Goodwin went on the odd-man rush and the former sauced the pass across perfectly for his team-mate to tap-in at 15:08 (2-0), and it could have been even better had Burman not produced a world-class save to deny Mark Cooper on his return to the line-up, a wonderful passing play setting up the captain but the goaltender making an incredible glove stop.

Both sides would end the period down a man, Lake called for hooking before Bradley Lalonde took two minutes for interference, with neither side able to capitalise.

Second period

Lake almost scored immediately after his penalty expired, Daniel Tedesco feeding the puck back in front for the centre to shoot but Burman saved from point blank range, before the Giants produced a stunning five-minute kill to keep the Flames at bay after Oliver Cooper was ejected for boarding and then fighting with Patrick Bajkov.

The Giants also had to kill off an interference call on Jacob Friend and then Flames forward Ryan Hughes was boxed for the same infringement and Belfast were close to adding to their total when Goodwin hit the crossbar on the powerplay and the red-hot McLeod was denied by a superb stop from Burman.

Hughes then almost made up for his penalty when he skated in on Whistle but the netminder made another massive stop to deny the forward, with the Giants ending the period on the penalty kill as a too many men infringement left them shorthanded.

Third period

The Giants did get a stroke of luck early in the final frame as Peter Crinella, on the powerplay, and Bradley Lalonde both hit the frame of the goal as the visitors pushed for a goal on the board but couldn’t quite find it, while Goodwin snapped a shot wide from a pass back from behind the net by Lake.

But the third goal would come at 49:57 to put the game to bed, Daniel Tedesco rolling off his man into the mid-slot and firing on goal and Goodwin was there to tip it in at the crease (3-0), and when the Giants were able to play out their fifth penalty of the night - a hooking call against Blake Speers - the result was in the bag.

Unfortunately they couldn’t close out the shut-out, Lalonde striking with just 1:13 left on the clock as he snapped in a one-timer from the right circle with Burman pulled for the extra skater (3-1) but it wasn’t to put a dampener on a fine win for the Giants on home ice.

Next up

The Stena Line Belfast Giants complete their SSE Arena, Belfast double-header with the Flames on Saturday 16 March, followed by back-to-back games against Scottish opposition, hosting the Dundee Stars on Saturday 23 March before travelling to the Fife Flyers on Sunday 24 March. Tickets available here.