Six of the best for Giants in Nottingham

First Period

The Giants had the first effort of the game inside ten seconds when Scott Conway tested Mat Robson before Cole Shudra’s shot was tipped by Nicolas Guay into the Nottingham goalie’s gloves. The hosts responded as expected with Zach O’Brien’s effort saved by Jake Kupsky before Miikka Pitkanen fired wide on the breakaway.

Kupsky produced an even better save when Tim Doherty was teed up by a lovely pass from Chase Pearson but the Giants goalie denied him from close range. Kaleb Pearson suffered a similar fate at the other end as Robson produced a stop to rival his opposite number at the other end. Zsombor Garat was the next to test the Giants goalie but, once again, Kupsky stood tall.

Those saves looked even more crucial when the visitors opened the scoring on 14:31 thanks to Conway who finished from close range off a JJ Piccinich pass (0-1). Jaeden Martin tried his best to double the lead with a rasper that Robson held on to before Kupsky once again denied the hosts, with Spencer Naas’ effort held.

Second Period

Danny Stewart’s men were always going to push back into the game and they did so at the beginning of the second. This pressure led to an equaliser on 26:03 thanks to a neat finish from Joe Hazeldine (1-1). They kept the pressure on and almost took the lead but Max Grandin couldn’t quite direct his effort on target.

Having ridden this early pressure, the Giants got a foothold in the game and retook the led thanks to a clinical finish from JJ Piccinich on 34:30 after a lovely assist from Conway (1-2). Adam Keefe’s men didn’t stop there either and extended their lead just over 30 seconds later and it was another superb shot this time off the stick of Logan Cockerill. The Michigan-born forward smashed home a shot off a Mike Lee pass on 35:07 and the visitors had breathing space (1-3).

There was even time for a fourth before the intermission as the away side recovered from a difficult start to the period with a stunning ending. This time, it was Jake Gaudet who tipped home a Ty Prefontaine shot on 39:39 to open a commanding kead heading into the second intermission (1-4).

Third Period

The Giants went on a powerplay early in the third with Gordon Ballhorn sat down for hooking and they took full advantage. It was Patrick Guay who finished expertly from in front of the net via a neat Kaleb Pearson assist at 42:47 (1-5). The men in white were coasting at this stage but Kupsky still had some saves to make and he made them with aplomb, denying O’Brien and Chase Pearson.

At the other end, Nicolas Guay almost joined his brother on the scoresheet but Robson was able to hold on to his tip from a Mason Klee shot. He also stopped a Conway effort while David Goodwin flashed wide but there was still time for another goal as Conway grabbed his second to put the cherry on top of the icing on the cake in the final minute at 59:20 (1-6).

Up Next

The Giants travel to Fife on Sunday to wrap up their Challenge Cup group campaign before they return to The O2 Belfast next weekend for their first Motorpoint Elite League action on home ice. That sees a weekend double-header against the Guildford Flames and you can get tickets to those games and more here.