Giants 3, Stingrays 1
Devils 3, Giants 5

Things are really starting to roll for the Giants again lately.  Three wins in a row after the two victories this weekend and the team finally appear to have found their winning chemsetry.  A change up in lines appears to have done the trick.  With Coventry looking shaky in games over the last week or two the league is still very much there to be played for as the Giants sit two points clear but with two extra games played.  Hull and Cardiff where the opponents in the way of the Giants this weekend and both where disposed of, but not without a few challenges on the way.

With Jamieson starting for a second straight game on the top line with Jason Ruff and Mark Dutiaume it allowed the Giants to again balance a scoring threat across all three lines.  Mark Morrison was moved onto the wing alongside Jeff Hutchins and George Awada to form a formidable checking line with Curits Huppe, Shawn Skiehar and Marc Levers linking up as a third scoring threat.

Hull always bring a tough game, not in the typical sence of the hockey word, they play no physical game to speak of, but they skate hard, move the puck well and do it all at full speed, you certainly know your legs have been in a game by the time the final hooter sounds.  It was the case again on Saturday night as the Giants couldn’t find a way past the Hull nettie continuing to be denied as shot after shot was fired into the goalies chest.  Curtis Huppe continued his scoring form with the go-ahead goal for the Giants with a lazer slapshot in the first period but Hull later tied it up.

Overtime looked like the only destination of this one, as the fans where continually frustrated by the team failing to hit the target.  The difference this time than to previous game in previous weeks was that the team where working hard and where deserving the chance they where getting, it was only a matter of time.   This game had the fans on the edges of their seats. 

The penalty kill was on form all night but the powerplay was found wanting on many occasions as the team spent most of any two minute powerplays trying to set up their system and failing to find a way to goal.  It finally came however in the final ten minutes of the contest when Jeff Hutchins scored the game winner on the man advantage with Captain George Awada playing one of his best games of the season picking up the helper.

With only a few minutes to go George himself was sent in alone on goal and waited patiently until the goalie went down before roofing the puck high into the net to seal the deal.  It ended a bit of a goal drought for the Captain but theres no doubt with one comes many and you’d expect George to really hit his stride in front of goal now.

Within 24-hours the team where back in action.  Cardiff, with whome the Giants had ended their poor run of form with a superb four-zip win last weekend where again the opposition only this time in Cardiff.  Both teams exchanged goals early on with the Giants taking a lead only to have Cardiff claw back goals and remain in contention.  Eventually the Giants edged out further and Cardiff could not close the gap giving the Giants a much needed road win.  Mark Dutiaume and Mark Morrison both scored two on the night and Curtis Huppe scored the fifth and final goal to score his fifth in four games and 21st of the season.

Weekend Notes: Awada hit his scoring stride with a four point weekend (1+3), Dutiaume and Huppe both went into the 20’s in goals scored with Huppe notching his 20th against Hull on Saturday and Dutiaume on Sunday against Cardiff.  Dutiaume scored his 8th powerplay goal of the season tieing Jason Ruff with the team lead for the season.  Leigh Jamieson has made himself at home on the Giants top line, he picked up an assist againt Cardiff on a Dutiaume goal.

Giants-History.com 3 stars Vs Hull:
1st Star: George Awada
2nd Star: Roman Gavalier
3rd Star: Curtis Huppe

Scoring vs Hull:
18.07 BEL 1-0 Huppe 20 (Levers 6, Skiehar 11)
26.55 HULL 1-1 Kharchenko 9 (Gomenyuk 15, Rublivsky 10) (PP)
52.57 BEL 2-1 Hutchins 21 (Awada 19, Dutiaume 31) (PP)
59.04 BEL 3-1 Awada 16 (Hutchins 22, Morin 19)

Giants History.com 3 stars @ Cardiff:
1st Star: Mark Morrison
2nd Star: Mark Dutiaume
3rd Star: Mike Minard

Scoring @ Cardiff:
05.56 BEL 0-1 M. Morrison 6 (Hutchins 23, Walton 5)
17.03 CAR 1-1 Smith 14 (Birbraer 17, Darling 11)
23.40 BEL 1-2 Dutiaume 18 (Ruff 21, Jamieson 7)
28.12 BEL 1-3 Dutiaume 19 (Ruff 22, Awada 20) (PPG)
29.39 CAR 2-3 M. Richardson 6 (Darling 12)
36.35 BEL 2-4 M. Morrison 7 (Kelman 16)
46.01 CAR 3-4 Smith 15 (Rempel 16, Komarek 3)
59.04 BEL 3-5 Huppe 21 (Dutiaume 32, Awada 21)

Category: Game Recaps (06-07) » |

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