Hosts Storm Back As Giants Take Point In Manchester

Gabe Bast and Brandon Whistle both scored for the visitors either side of the first intermission to ensure the Giants would walk away with at least a point for their efforts, but they couldn’t add the second as their winning streak was snapped at seven.

First period

The Giants started the game the stronger of the two sides and their best two early chances fell to Jake Gaudet, who saw an effort from the right circle gloved down by Drew DeRidder, and then the netminder also denied him when driving in from the left circle, the netminder managing to put it just wide via the underside of his glove.

But when the Storm got some momentum, Harrison Caines with their first big chance on the breakaway that was denied by Jackson Whistle, they struck for the opening goal as Dallas Ehrhardt’s shot from the blue-line managed to sneak all the way through at 9:08 to break the deadlock (1-0).

That seemed to spark the Giants back into life and although they couldn’t connect on a Nicholas Welsh slashing penalty and DeRidder was able to deny Ben Lake on a drive to the net, they would be level at the first intermission as a shot from Bast took a huge deflection and looped over DeRidder into the net for the equaliser at 17:40 (1-1).

Second period

A delay of game penalty on Bradley Jenion right at the end of the first period put the Giants on the powerplay to start the second and, although they didn’t strike on the man advantage, once again they rode that momentum to pull ahead through Brandon Whistle, who finished Lake’s pass across goal for the go-ahead strike at 22:37 (1-2).

Both netminders took centre stage in the middle of the period, DeRidder tested again but managing to send an effort from Scott Conway over the top with a nice shoulder save, with Jackson Whistle just as good at the other end, making a pair of blocks on Brady Gilmour and Tyler Hinam as they bore down on net from the circles.

Belfast had two big chances to add to their lead before the second intermission as they saw two powerplays pass them by, Welsh once again heading off, this time for interference, and then Ehrhardt going for delay of game, and they would finish the period shorthanded as Gaudet took their first minor of the game for tripping.

Third period

Manchester was quick to tie the game back up in the third period, Brandon Cutler tipping in a shot from Brendon Clavelle at 41:21 (2-2), and the Giants had to dig deep to avoid falling behind soon after when Ciaran Long and Karl Boudrias both were punished for delay of game, the visitors doing superbly to play out the 5-on-3 penalty kill.

That allowed them to get some rubber on DeRidder, however a big block in front from Chase Harrison denied David Goodwin what looked like an empty net rebound,

Overtime

Whistle once again came up big in the extra period as he stopped JD Dudek on the drive from the right circle, but he would finally be beaten at 62:21 as Ulett sniped home for the winning goal, giving the home side the extra point (3-2).