Giants return to winning ways in Dundee

First Period

The Giants got off to a positive start early in this one with early efforts from Scott Conway and Christian Berger forcing good saves from Carl Stankowski. The hosts responded well after this with Jackson Whistle called into action at the other end, first denying Joshua Nelson before he tipped a shot from Gary Haden around the post.

It was an end-to-end first period and the Giants went back on the front foot with Conway again coming close before Logan Cockerill’s shot was held by Stankowski. The Stars would then go on the powerplay when Berger was binned for a delay of game penalty. Keaton Jameson came closest during the two minute advantage but shot wide as the visitors killed the penalty.

With the clock ticking down in the first, it looked as though we would head into the intermission scoreless but Adam Keefe’s men struck late. It was Nicolas Guay who mopped up from a narrow angle when his brother Patrick’s shot was parried into his path on 17:38 (0-1).

Second Period

Despite this late blow, the hosts came out of the gates quickly with a pair of chances for Nelson on the breakaway. First, he evaded the attentions of Jaeden Martin but was denied well by Whistle. He was the fed by a neat stretch pass and bore down on goal again but couldn’t beat the Giants back stop.

Having survived these chances as well as Maxim Eliseev crashing in on the net, the Giants sprang for a goal at the other end. It came off the stick of Ciaran Long on 28:05 who fizzed the puck into the roof of the net having been set up by a pass from Patrick Guay who registered his second assist of the night (0-2).

The away side went in search of a third and captain David Goodwin almost found it but he was stopped well by Stankowski following a breakaway. Cole Shudra then fired a shot over the top but Berger would make no mistake on 32:31. The former Penn State defenceman rocketed a shot high into the net for his first Giants goal after good work from JJ Piccinich (0-3). Dundee tried to respond through Eliseev but he short over and the visitors held their three-goal led going into the third.

Third Period

The men from Belfast came out of the traps quickest in the third and went in search of a goal that would have all but sealed the two points. Conway tried his luck again but Stankowski held on to the puck before Jake Gaudet fired wide and Ty Prefontaine’s shot was blocked in front of the net by a Stars defender.

It was familiar faces troubling the scoreboard at the other end as Eliseev and Jameson did their best to get the hosts on the scoresheet. While they couldn’t do it, the home side did pull one back on 48:21 through Sebastian Bengtsson as the Swede beat Whistle from a narrow angle after an assist from Eliseev (1-3).

There was still a good chunk of time remaining for Scott Dutertre’s side to try to build on that and find a way back into the game but the visitors managed the remainder of the game well and saw out the victory. They had chances for Piccinich who rattled the ironwork before Nicolas Guay almost got his second of the night when his shot was deflected just wide. They even survived a late penalty given against Shudra for cross checking and got back to winning ways.

Up Next

These two meet again on Sunday (4^th October) at The O2 Belfast. Puck drop is at 5pm and you can purchase tickets here.