Last night’s game marked the first ever professional goal by Lewis Christie. He tallied a second period goal against Manchester on a feed from Mark Dutiaume.

In tonight’s 6-2 win against the Nottingham Panthers, captain George Awada picked up a hat trick and his 99th, 100th and 101st goals as a Giant.  The 100th goal tied him with Jason Ruff for the franchise lead and the 101st stood him alone as the top all-time Giants goal scorer.

‘Atta boy George

The Giants have just beat the Panthers 6-2 tonight giving them their 13th win in a row, continuing the record, and almost as impressive, 34 goals in just 6 games.  That’s an average of 5.67 goals per game over that span for a team who in the first half of the season were averaging just over two per game.  Another incredible feat is that the scoring over the past two games – twelve goals in all - has come without the help of Ed Courtenay on either goals or assists.  Remarkable considering the amount of helpers Ed has had this season, but proving the depth of the Giants team.  Ed Courtenay who took a heavy hit last night used himself sparingly throughout the game leaving it to Captain George Awada to pick up a hat trick and to become the Giants all-time leading goal-scorer.

Awada who has struggled in front of goal this season may well have got the spark he needed to kick-start his season on picking up the hat-trick and the scoring record.  It’s his first three goal game of the season and third of his Giants career.

The game also included another fight.  By all accounts from the game, Ryan Shymr of the Panthers was trying to intimidate an already banged up Ed Courtenay.  Carlyle Lewis didn’t appreciate it and dropped the gloves with Shmyr and give him a good hiding.  It’s Lewis’ fifth fight in four games and the third in row done in the name of protecting his coach.

The win keeps the Giants in second place and keeps the pressure on the Coventry Blaze.

For those unlucky not to have got to the game last night there’s a few clips up on Youtube.  Take a look:

Carlyle Lewis vs Brett Cloutier (Look for Carlyle’s great right hook at the 39 second mark).

Mark Morrison vs Luke Stauffacher (Rock ‘em Sock ‘em, stand back and Throw ‘em fighting here).

When the season is said and done and the fans are looking to kill time in the off-season talking about the best of the year gone past, I would imagine there will be little debate on the game of the year.  Last night’s game against Manchester will get the award.

The Giants beat the Phoenix 6-2 but not only did the game include goals and fast end-to-end play, it included two fights, some true hockey retribution, a penalty shot and the best atmosphere of the season.  My faith was restored in the need for an enforcer in hockey and anyone who tells me that fight’s do not have a place in the game . . . I will point them in the direction of this game.

In the second period of the match-up Ed Courtenay was rammed into the boards pretty hard by Phoenix tough-guy Brett Cloutier.  Being the player-coach and top scorer of the team, this did not sit well with Giants proverbial ‘police-man’ Carlyle who moments later took a run and flattened Phoenix player-coach and ex-Giants coach Tony Hand.  It sparked a pushing match and on the ensuing face-off the two tough guys came together to produce an excellent toe-to-toe scrap.  It’s the way hockey should be and credit to the referee for letting the two guys duke it out.  The fight cleaned the game up and ended any possibility for further dirty play and the referee knew it.

The fighting wasn’t done however, as the game attempted to re-start the two smallest guys on the ice – not to be out-done by the two biggest – dropped the gloves and helmets and went at it.  The Giants Mark Morrison leaving the Phoenix’s Stauffacher bloodied and needing treatment.  It all took place with only a few minutes left in the period and so the referee called the period early to let the Zamboni clean up the blood of Stauffacher.

When the game re-started fifteen minutes later there was no more penalties – A clean game of end to end hockey ensued.

The Giants who lead 3-1 going into the final framed turned up the gas scoring three more to take a victory by a margin that the Phoenix did not deserve to lose by.  The Phoenix had kept the game tight throughout with the first half of the match still tied at one.  The Phoenix missed a penalty shot with a great save by Stevie Lyle.  It sent the crowd wild and the Giants fed off the momentum scoring a few moments later to take the game by the scruff.

The Giants head into Nottingham tomorrow night, likely tired and maybe even a little beat up.  Ed Courtenay looked a little shaky after his hit from Cloutier.  He didn’t take a shift the rest of the second period but did come out to play in the third.

The Giants bandwagon continues to roll on at an incredible rate, picking up two points after two points game in and game out.  With Manchester coming into town on Saturday night and with the current form the Giants are in you would expect 11 in a row to become 12, but before people scream SCUD at me writing that . . . I don’t believe this game can be taken as a foregone conclusions, not for one minute.  Not if form is anything to go by.  Read More»

Sitting looking at the box score of Wednesday nights game it suddenly occured to me why Dutes dropped the gloves and went after the Vipers.  It wasn’t a reaction to something someone said . . . He was on for the Gordie Howe Hat Trick after earlier scoring a goal and getting an assist.  Dutes picks up the first Gordie Howe of the season!

P.S.  For those unaware, a Gordie Howe hat trick is a Goal, an assist and a fight in a game.  Usually pretty rare.

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.  Read More»

Man, does Pope ever like to just tie up his opponent and hang on for dear life!!!

Round 1:

Round 2:

Giants won their tenth straight game tonight in Cardiff to break a club winning streak record. The win puts the Giants in a strong second place in the league and baring down on the Coventry Blaze. The game also had a few firsts with Lewis Christie getting his first career point and Leigh Jamieson his first career hat trick. There was two fights in the game, both involving Carlyle Lewis and Brent Pope. An unusual combatant, Pope and Lewis appeared to be at each other thoughout the night.

Playing on a line with Ed Courtenay, Jamieson did what everyone who has played with Courtenay this season does – score goals. The Giants were in control on the scoreboard from the start and never looked back taking a 3-1 lead into the first break and a 6-1 lead into the second break.

The Giants now have two days off before a home clash with the physical Newcastle Vipers who wont want to face the Giants in their current form.