Finally the Belfast Giants got rid of the Coventry hoo-doo that was threatening to continue into this season by beating the Blaze 2-0 in a barnstormer of a game.
Once again Martin Klempa was oustanding between the pipes, stopping everything that was thrown at him. Pucks, players, nothing got past him as he put in another game-winning performance.
While Klempa was outstanding, the rest of the team certainly did their share of the work, with the goals coming from George Awada, and the fights coming from Jason Bowen and Diarmuid Kelly. Many had thought that Mel Angelstad would finally drop the gloves, however Coventrys hard-man Andre Payette obviously decided against that idea, in spite of several offers from the Mangler.
This was a big-hitting game, with no quarter being given anywhere on the ice. There were checks-a-plenty to please the crowd. None more so than Jason Bowens clean hit which but for the plexi would have sent the Coventry player into Row y.
With the two points from tonights game, the Giants have moved into a tie at the top of the table with Cardiff.
| P | TEAM | GP | W(OT) | L(OT) | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giants | 54 | 46(0) | 5(3) | 95 |
| 2 | Steelers | 54 | 41(0) | 11(2) | 84 |
| 3 | Panthers | 54 | 38(0) | 12(4) | 80 |
| 4 | Devils | 54 | 32(0) | 12(10) | 74 |
| 5 | Blaze | 54 | 32(0) | 20(2) | 66 |
| 6 | Clan | 54 | 31(0) | 19(4) | 66 |
| 7 | Stingrays | 54 | 16(0) | 34(4) | 36 |
| 8 | Stars | 54 | 13(0) | 35(6) | 32 |
| 9 | Capitals | 54 | 13(0) | 37(4) | 30 |
| 10 | Flyers | 54 | 8(0) | 40(6) | 22 |
| Points | Robert Dowd | 78 |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | Robert Dowd | 40 |
| Assists | Craig Peacock | 49 |
| PIM | Adam Keefe | 247 |