Giants seal victory over Flames as Coventry test awaits on Sunday

The Belfast Giants returned to winning ways as a three-goal first period helped lead them to a comfortable 3-1 Elite League victory over the Guildford Flames at the Spectrum Centre on Saturday evening.

Goals from Pierre-Olivier Morin, Elijiah Barriga and Grant Mismash, all in the final four minutes of the opening frame, laid the foundations for the win, with netminder Tom McCollum making 31 saves in an impressive victory.

Mismash had a great chance on the opening shift of the game as Mark Cooper found him in front but his shot found the pads of Jake Kupsky before the visitors couldn’t capitalise on an early interference penalty against Charlie Dodero, with McCollum making a smart save to deny Ryan Tait shorthanded.

Having killed the penalty, Guildford started to show some more offensive verve as Joshua Waller drove the net and Jack Jacome nearly beat McCollum with the rebound and then Bo Hanson had to make a big block to keep the Flames at bay during a Mismash interference call, with Ben Lake testing Kupsky up high after his line mate returned from the box.

But in the space of 29 seconds the Giants pulled two goals ahead, a Brett Ferguson slashing call allowing Morin to tap in the rebound off Mismash’s initial shot for the powerplay goal at 16:00 (0-1) and then Scott Conway sent Barriga in on Kupsky, his attempted deke around the netminder came off his pads but it deflected in off the skates of Dodero for the second at 16:29 (0-2).

And not content to just be up two at the break, the Giants kept piling on the pressure and would be rewarded with 23 seconds left to the buzzer, Mismash making it three with a quick release from the right circle that deflected off the glove of Kupsky and in (0-3).

The Flames had the first chance of the middle frame as Jacome got in behind and skated in on McCollum but the netminder held firm to keep the shot out, but he couldn’t deny Dodero in close as the defenceman jumped into the rush and finished at the crease at 24:24 to get the home side on the board (1-3).

The electric Mismash nearly restored the Giants’ three-goal lead as he skated in with Cooper but could only find the body of Kupsky as chances started to flow at both ends, J.J. Piccinich winning the race to the puck but unable to force it home under pressure before Daniel Tedesco’s rebound was almost poked in by Tait but it just trickled wide.

A stunning defensive play from Josh Roach prevented Daniel Catenacci from setting Tait up for a tap-in at the back post and after a timeout from Adam Keefe, it seemed to revitalise the Giants with only the glove of Kupsky denying Lake from the left circle on the rush with Ciaran Long, with Tedesco just going over the bar from the slot before the buzzer for the second intermission.

The Giants killed off the remainder of a Long roughing penalty but Jacome once again had a big chance for the home side as he drove the net and forced McCollum into a low stop before the netminder denied Ethan Strang following a giveaway from Jeff Baum and then needed to stick check Catenacci in front as the home side ramped up the pressure.

That only increased when Bo Hanson was penalised for a holding penalty and Guildford went on all-out offensive on the powerplay, but some huge blocks in front kept the home side at bay before McCollum made an outstanding double save to deny Travis Brown and Matt Alfaro in quick succession, with Hanson nearly setting up Cooper straight out of the box at the other end.

But having weathered the storm for the first half of the period, the Giants closed it out professionally in the latter stages as, even with Kupsky pulled for the extra attacker and Conway binned for a cross-check, they couldn’t beat McCollum again and the visitors were able to ease to the two points on the road.

Next up, the Stena Line Belfast Giants continue their Elite League campaign with another road game on Sunday 27 October when they face the Coventry Blaze in a league encounter, followed by a return to home ice on Wednesday 30 October for a meeting with the Glasgow Clan in the Challenge Cup.