The third period of last nights game was like a throw back to the Giants games of old.  Sure the crowd wasn’t big but they were as noisy as they have been in a while, especially watching a third period that brought goals and fights.  It’s been a long time since we seen a scrap in the Odyssey never mind a number of them in one game.   The Giants were in control of the game throughout most of the night and only gave up their only goal against late on with the Vipers netminder pulled.  How close Lyle came to the shutout will naturally frustrate him but he and his team-mates can take pride in extending the franshise record to 11-straight wins after beating the Vipers 3-1. 

The third period scraps were nothing to write home about but then it’s not really the quality of the scraps it’s the excitement they bring to the crowd in seeing the boys stand up for one another.  Lewis and Payette went at it and baring a late rally attempt by the Vipers in the final few minutes the crowd might have been treated to a second round as both combatants chirped at one another from the penalty box for the entire five minutes they sat out.  They were shortly joined by Trevor Johnson and Campbell who’s fight, like the one before them, ended before it really got going.  We were also treated to the old fashioned pile-on when Mark Dutiaume went after a Vipers player who had clearly got under his skin.

Dutiaume for that matter had a man-of-the-match performance and one of his best in a Giants jersey.  Playing on a line with Mark Morrison and Shaun Sutter the three caused the Vipers havock all night long.  Dutiaume scored the Giants first goal of the game - a short handed effort and throughout the night he continued to put his body on the line blocking shots.

The effort and togetherness of the team stood out last night and it shows a confident team hell bent on catching Coventry for the top of the Elite League.  If they pull it off it would be something spectacular.

On the subject: Fight Reviews, Newcastle Vipers | ALL SUBJECTS |

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