Belfast made it two wins in two games over the weekend when they hammered a below par Newcastle Vipers team 6-1. A game which was televised on live pay per view internet TV allowed Giants fans to tune into their teams game away from home. The Giants put on a fine display and two goals from Marc Levers and George Awada helped the Giants to the 4 points weekend.

At first though the game looked like it might go the way of the Vipers when they took the lead after only 30 seconds. But it only served as a wake up call for the Giants as they poured in the goals over the next 59 minutes. Third line winger Marc Levers and his line mates Dairmuid Kelly and Mark Morrison, along with British defenders Leigh Jamieson and Graeme Walton looked dangerous all night and it was to no surprise that after just 12 minutes they had made it 2-1 when Levers scored two goals and all by Walton picked up an assist on one of the two goals.

The Giants got another one through high flying George Awada just before the period break but the second period did not pick up where the first left off as both teams kept the defence tight and the puck away from the net, though it must be said Newcastle did have some luck as the Giants ran not one, not two, not even three, but four shots off the posts and cross-bar.

Finally they did score when the game was 4 on 4 and the Vipers where serving a delayed penalty that never got to happen when Curtis Huppe was on the end of a Todd Kelman pass to make it 4-1 and baring a miracle, end the game for the Vipers.

The third period was a procession. There was no grit or attempt at a fight back by the Vipers and none of their tough guys, like ex-Giant Paul Ferone, stood up to try inspire his team or the quiet crowd by taking on hard man Giants enforcer Mel Angelstad.

Instead Mel’s fists had the night off and it was his passing that made the score sheet when he fed Curtis Huppe who found George Awada for his second of the night and his 20th goal of the season. Curtis Bowen then rapped the game up 7 minutes later when he scored his 15th of the season and gave the Giants an easy 6-1 win to take back to Belfast that will keep them top.

It was an all round great weekend for the Giants who avoided any stumbling blocks in their charge for the Elite League title.

Newcastle Vipers 1-6 Belfast Giants

Vipers: Trumbley 0:30.
Giants: Levers 9:07, Levers 12:32, Awada 17:16, Huppe 36:15, Awada 48:08, C.Bowen 55:56.

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

Kelman – Gavalier
Angelstad – J.Bowen
Jamieson – Walton

The Giants got their road weekend off to a fantastic start with a win over BNL side Hull Stingrays. It strengthens the Giants position at the top of the league but the title race is still extremely close. The Giants should take the momentum of the win into tomorrow nights clash against the Newcastle Vipers whom the Giants beat at the Odyssey on New Years Day.

The game was tight throughout but the Giants made the most of their chances when they came. The first big chance was midway through the first period on the 13 minute mark when George Awada shot the Giants ahead. Big George has been on remarkable form of late in front of goal.

The second period took nearly as long as the first period before a goal was produced and this time it came from high scoring defenseman, Shane Johnson who scored while the Giants where short handed when Fred Nasval was in serving a penalty call. Tony Hand and Shane Johnson picked up the assists.

The Giants put the game beyond reach after 37 minutes when assistant coach Curtis Bowen made it 3-0 with Johnson picking up his second assist of the night and defenseman Roman Gavallier picking up the other point.

Hull Stingrays 1-3 Belfast Giants

Stingrays: Alipov 39:55.
Giants: Awada (pp) 13:42, Kelman (sh) 32:14, C.Bowen 37:06.

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

Kelman – Gavalier
Angelstad – J.Bowen
Jamieson – Walton

In what will probably turn out to be the highest scoring game of the season that seen the net hit 12 times by pucks with one of them being disallowed. It was a goal in overtime by the Fife Flyers that stole the points and handed the Giants their first ever defeat by a BNL team.

The only bonus of scoring 5 goals and still losing is that the Giants still managed to pickup a point and the on-fire Curtis Huppe (right), score yet another hatrick; His second of the month.

It was the 5th game in the last 6 for the Giants that has gone into overtime with their record in that stretch in overtime sitting now at 1-1-3 after tonight’s game. This was their first over-time loss of the season and it came at that hands of Euan Forsyth with only 1:19 of the over-time period played.

It was a game that was not short on goals nor action as both teams traded goals throughout the first two periods. It was Fife who took first blood with a goal on 5:39 but the Giants answered back late in the first period with the on fire Curtis Huppe scoring his 7th of the season. It was short lived however as Steven King then fired home only 26 seconds later to give the Flyers a first period lead.

The second period started off as the first had ended with a goal inside the first 30 seconds when the Giants levelled the scoring with American, George Awada picking up his 9th goal of the season. After a slight lull in scoring it was back to normal when Biette scored and then Awada fired home his 10th of the season just 3 minutes later to make it 3-3. That wasn’t all however as Mark Morrison (of Fife not Belfast), scored to give the Flyers an end of period lead once again.

It was the Morrison – Dutiaume – King line that was causing the Giants all ends of trouble and they struck again for the teams 5th goal of the game and giving them a two goal lead for the first time but a late rally by the Giants through in form Curtis Huppe which seen him notch his second hatrick in three games and his 7th goal in 3 games tied it up for the Giants forcing overtime.

It wasn’t to be however and the Flyers took the win and the two points back to their BNL standings. The Giants move on to Edinburgh tomorrow night to face another Scottish and BNL opponent on their long road trip.

Fife Flyers 6-5 Belfast Giants

Flyers: Morrison 5:39, King 18:56, Biette 28:39, Morrison 37:16, King 48:52.
Giants: Huppe 18:30, Awada 20:38, Awada 31:49, Huppe 50:39, Huppe 58:49.

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

J.Bowen – Johnson
Angelstad – Gavalier 

In one of the easier games of the season the Giants turned on the scoring style as they romped away with a 6-0 victory over the Dundee Stars of the BNL in the cross-league game. Two goals in the first, one in the second and then three in the third sealed the victory in what was otherwise a pretty un-interesting game.

It was the forth shut-out of the season for star goalie Martin Klempa. Curtis Huppe also managed to end his goal drought by scoring his first goal for the Giants that was not an empty netter. He was shuffled onto a line with Tony Hand and it proved to work as the player coach set up Huppe’s first goal.

Belfast Giants 6-0 Dundee Stars

Giants: Awada 8:11, C.Bowen 14:29, C.Bowen 31:54, Johnson 42:07, Huppe 45:58, Nasval 54:08.
Stars: None.
(Odyssey Arena, Belfast).

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

J.Bowen – Jamieson
Angelstad – Gavalier
Walton 

The game was over within the first ten minutes as the Giants hammered the Edinburugh Capitals 8-1 at the Odyssey Arena to record their first ever win over BNL opposition on home ice. The Giants were four goals to the good within ten minutes and it allowed Chris McGimpsey who was making his first ever pro start to relax in goal and play a superb game coming within 47 seconds of a shut-out in his first start as a Giant.

Fredrik Nasval was the other star of the night as he scored his second hat-rick for the Belfast Giants to make it 11 goals in just 12 games for the Swede. As well as this being the first time a BNL team has played in Belfast their where a few other firsts as Roman Gavallier, just back from injury, scored his first goal late in the first period and then the final goal of the night from Belfast was score by Mel Angelstad who converted a superb one on one with the goalie to score his first ever goal in a Belfast jersey.

The win sends the Giants level on points with the Cardiff Devils who they are playing tomorrow night in Cardiff.

Belfast Giants 8-1 Edinburgh Capitals

Giants: Hand 1:23, Nasval 1:41, Nasval 4:55, Awada 9:19, Nasval 14:40, Gavalier 19:20, Johnson 44:41, Angelstad (sh) 55:28.
Capitals: Cingel 59:13.
(Odyssey Arena, Belfast).

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

J.Bowen – Jamieson
Angelstad – Gavalier
Walton