Elite League: Giants hit Devils for nine

An immaculate 7-0 second period contributed to a Stena Line Belfast Giants dismantling of the Cardiff Devils at The SSE Arena, Belfast on Sunday evening.

In a night where secondary scoring shone, Giants Forward Steve Owre was deserving of his Man of the Match award with four goals in a 9-3 victory.

The Belfast Giants commenced an offensive onslaught off the drop, squeezing the Cardiff Devils high in their zone. A superb individual effort saw Steve Owre muscle Devils defenceman Marcus Crawford off the puck, before somehow tucking it under goalie Ben Bowns right leg from a tight angle at 1:44.

The Giants turned away an early kill as Ben Lake sat for interference at 3:04, but the Devils were back on level terms on the power play (David Goodwin, hooking, 14:13) when good movement in the zone saw Ryan Penny tuck home a rebound off Giants goalie Jackson Whistle at 15:59.

Belfast responded courtesy of Darik Angeli, chipping Gabe Bast’s puck into the roof of Bowns’ net from the edge of the crease at 17:22.

What followed for the Belfast Giants was one of the most scintillating single periods of hockey in recent memory.

Jackson Whistle was resolute on Gabe Bast’s tripping penalty as the period commenced, and it was Steve Owre yet again with a superb individual effort, faking out the defencemen in the zone to extend Belfast’s lead short-handed at 22:12.

Scott Conway’s pass to David Goodwin for a blocker side finish saw the end of Cardiff goalie Ben Bowns’ afternoon at 25:19, as Canadian backup Taran Kozun entered the fray.

Steve Owre bagged a fifth- his hat trick goal- on the power play at 30:02, Scott Conway added a sixth at 31:12, David Gilbert wristed number seven on the power play at 34:07 following a particularly nasty boarding call on Owre by Jake Coughler, Ciaran Long scrambled to bury number eight at 38:12, and Steve Owre found his fourth goal and the Giants’ ninth at 39:44.

The Devils clawed one back on the power courtesy of Sam Duggan as Tyler Soy sat for tripping at 41:50.

There was a third washed off for the visitors following a review with 11:30 remaining, before Belfast had a long-range effort from Mark Garside suffered a similar fate at the other end with less than five to go.

Brodie Reid attempted to spare Cardiff’s blushes somewhat with a third at 55:17, but the Giants ran the clock down and said farewell to the The SSE Arena, Belfast for a month on the road with a commanding victory.

UP NEXT

The Belfast Giants are on the road to take on Manchester Storm this Friday November 11th. The Giants are next at home at The SSE Arena, Belfast on Saturday December 3rd.