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

Diarmuid Scored his first ever professional goal and his first of the season for the Belfast Giants as they came back to force a tie and take home a point against the Basingstoke Bison. Kelly scored the first goal of the game on the power-play before Belfast threw away three goals in quick succession.

They rallied in the third period however with a goal from Awada and then a tying goal from Jason Bowen. Kelly also picked up an assist on the night as he earned his first man of the match.

They rallied in the third period however with a goal from Awada and then a tying goal from Jason Bowen. Kelly also picked up an assist on the night as he earned his first man of the match.

Although the Giants out shot the Bison by 46 shots to 23 they could not muster anymore than three goals and spend the last half of the game trying to pull back a two goal deficit. The first period was tight with the Giants out shooting the Bison by 11-8 but a Massive 20 shots in he second period alone by Belfast could only see them grab one goal and that was on the power-play by Diarmuid Kelly.

Although the Giants out shot the Bison by 46 shots to 23 they could not muster anymore than three goals and spend the last half of the game trying to pull back a two goal deficit. The first period was tight with the Giants out shooting the Bison by 11-8 but a Massive 20 shots in he second period alone by Belfast could only see them grab one goal and that was on the power-play by Diarmuid Kelly.

Then three goals in a five and a half minute spell by the Bison put the Giants against the wall but credit to them they kept at it and kept raining in the shots and it paid off in the third period when a goal by George Awada and then a first of the season by big Jason Bowen assisted on by Kelly gave the Giants some hope for overtime.

Then three goals in a five and a half minute spell by the Bison put the Giants against the wall but credit to them they kept at it and kept raining in the shots and it paid off in the third period when a goal by George Awada and then a first of the season by big Jason Bowen assisted on by Kelly gave the Giants some hope for overtime.

It wasn’t to be and the points where split. Overall this weekend it will be seen as two points dropped against London and Basingstoke in total more so than two points gained. But the positives to take out of the weekend has got to be Diarmuid picking up his first goal and man of the match after a fine display on the top line with Curtis Bowen and George Awada.

Basingstoke Bison 3-3 Belfast Giants

Bison: Ford 26:54, Sheppard 27:37, Maltby 32:37.
Giants: Kelly (pp) 21:19, Awada 49:42, J.Bowen 55:24.

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

J.Bowen – Johnson
Angelstad – Gavalier

It was fight night in Belfast this Friday as the rough and tough London Racers rolled into two looking to mix it up with the Belfast team. It didn’t talk long for the action to kick off when on the second shift of the game and Mel Angelstads’ first shift he was asked to drop the gloves by London tough guy Jeremy Cornish. Mel obliged and a great scrap ensued with Mel getting the better of it and dropping Cornish.

As the period wore on Read More»

The big bad Nottingham Panthers where the latest visitors to the Odyssey arena with the game expected to be a tight affair with lots of physical play and the fans where not disappointed, though the score sheet is a different story.

Nottingham where sporting their latest signing, NHL lock-out star Steve McKenna and the man mountain didn’t disappoint the travelling supporters as he combined for a goal and assist to lead the Panthers to a 4-2 victory. He assisted on the only goal of the first period by Marek Ivan who went on to take the man of the match award.

The second period was split but not before Nottingham made it 2-0 after a terrible mistake by Fredrik Nasval in the Nottingham end let McKenna through on a break away and he took it superbly roofing the puck over Klempa’s left shoulder. Shane Johnson pulled one back with the assist going to Tony Hand who to the shock of many fans managed to pick up the man of the match award.

The second period ended seven seconds early with both teams sent to the dressing room to cool off after an ugly incident with seconds to go. Nottingham’s Welsh forward Matt Myers who had his stick up all night delivered a terrible high stick to the face of Todd Kelman sending him to the ice bloodied and concussed. Todd tried to get up to skate to the bench but fell over and had to be helped to the bench by team-mates as a brawl looked immanent.

Myers was thrown out of the game and on his way to the tunnel, Giants hard-man Mel Angelstad tried to get at him to have a few words with Nottingham tough guy Steve McKenna getting in the way. All the players where in the dressing room and it looked like things might kick off but Giants coach Tony Hand came in to pull Angelstad away and leave any retribution that might be dished out to Myers to another day.

Their was a game to win in the third period and the Giants came out flying trying to get the game back even with star defenseman Todd Kelman now out for what could be a considerable amount of time. They tied the game five minutes into the period when top scorer Fred Nasval finally got lose from the man marking he was receiving from Nottingham to fire the puck home from between the circles to record his 13th goal of the season.

It wasn’t to be however as Nottingham kept up their pressure also and stole a goal with four minutes to go when Marek Ivan score his second of the game and what also proved to be the game winner. An empty net goal by the very quiet John Craighead rubbed salt into the Belfast wounds as they went down 4-2 in the end.

The return game between the two teams is in the Odyssey on December 30th and should prove to be a very interesting night indeed!

Belfast Giants 2-4 Nottingham Panthers

Giants: Johnson 34:23, Nasval 44:53.
Panthers: Ivan 12:09, McKenna 32:01, Ivan 56:04, Craighead (en) 59:56.
(Odyssey Arena, Belfast)

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

J.Bowen – Kelman
Angelstad – Gavalier
Walton

A night after a great victory over London the Giants travelled to Sheffield to take on the reigning champions the Sheffield Steelers but they could not put together the scoring form they have had of late as they got shut out by the Steelers on their way to a 1-0 victory. Man of the match for the Giants Martin Kelmpa in goals faced 23 shots making 22 saves with a late third period goal by ex-Giant Paul Sample being the only difference between the two teams.

The Giants shouldn’t be too disheartened by the loss and the shout as their form of late in front of goal has been superb.

Sheffield Steelers 1-0 Belfast Giants

Steelers: Sample 57:22.
Giants: None.
(House of Steel, Sheffield).

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

J.Bowen – Kelman
Angelstad – Gavalier
Walton