It’s been a while coming, much longer than most of us would have liked but the boo birds have finally been put to rest thanks to an upturn in form by the Belfast Giants. With the player changes appearing to click the Giants put in by far their most impressive preformance of the season at a sold out Dundalk Ice Dome. The atmosphere was electric and it times it helped carry an at times tired Giants team who were extremely short benched through the game. Icing without four key players the Giants were soon down five men when star player Mark Dutiaume picked up an injury. It didn’t stop the Giants who played with two forward lines for the majority of the night from pressing on and picking up the much needed win.

The win now moves the Giants to seventh place in the Elite League after a start to a season that promised so little. Ed Courtenay was good on his threats to make changes and now an almost brand new Giants team appear to have found their groove. Two goals from newboy Peter Campbell and a man of the match performance were the main catalists to the victory. Ed Courtenay added a powerplay goal while the ever impressive playing General Manager Todd Kelman added his first of the year. He’s made no bones of the fact he doesn’t want to be playing but with the team so short and his name already registered the team cannot afford to go without him and he’s playing as well as he ever has at the most important time.

Defensivly the Giants finally look solid and thats without long-term injured blue-liners Trevor Johnson and Roman Gavalier. The return of Shane Johnson and the ice time of Todd Kelman has brought in the ‘Giants’ experience that the defence has badly needed. In goals Stevie Lyle is doing a grand job and turned aside 15 shots to pick up the victory. He was rarely tested all night but came through when required. Limiting the Phoenix to just 16 shots is a testimant to how well the defence is now playing.

The challenge to the defence got greater someone around the second period when Mark Dutiaume left the ice after an akward hit and didn’t return. Dutes who plays a more prefered position as centerman has been on defence for the majority of the month of October to cover for injuries and has frankly been the best defenceman on the team. That has said a lot but when he did go down players like Troy Neumeier stepped up and provided the cover in his best preformance as a Giants player to date.

Finally everyone appears to be settling in and the Giants are slowly climbing the league table. The Giants are now just two points (thats just one win) away from Nottingham’s forth place spot.

Category: Game Recaps (07-08) » Manchester Phoenix |

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