The Giants put on a superb display to take two points from the league leading Cardiff Devils in a thrilling game in Wales. The Giants who where outplayed for most of the game defended strongly and had some superb goal-tending from super-star Martin Klempa who turned aside 37 of 38 Cardiff shots.

It was the Giants who took the lead in a game that looked to be heading for a 0-0 tie after two periods of no scoring, when player-coach Tony Hand stepped up and scored his 8th goal of the season to make it 1-0 with a goal that looked to have sealed the points for the Giants.

But just as fans where thinking their team had grabbed the points and Klempa had got a magnificent shut-out they where stunned into silence when ex-Giant star Dave Matsos scored with only 22 seconds remaining.

With a guaranteed point on the board for both teams the Giants really needed to grab that extra point and keep in contention with the league leaders and that goal came only 24 seconds into the over-time period when Fredrik Nasval popped up to score his 14th goal in 21 games and win it for the Giants.

Cardiff Devils 1-2 Belfast Giants

Devils: Matsos 59:38.
Giants: Hand 52:22, Nasval 60:24.

Lines:
Huppe – Hand – Nasval
Kelly – C.Bowen – Awada
Morrison – Walton – Levers

J.Bowen – Johnson
Angelstad – Gavalier

On the subject: Cardiff Devils, David Matsos, Fredrik Nasval, Tony Hand | ALL SUBJECTS |

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