Float Like A Butterfly....

The Belfast Giants welcomed the Bracknell Bees back to the Odyssey Arena for the first time in a couple of seasons. The Bees had moved to the British National League at the time of the dissolution of the old British Ice Hockey Superleague. And it was just this week that the Bees were celebrating becoming BNL Champions.

The teams previous meeting, in Bracknell, stemmed a 3-3 draw after OT, so Coach Tony Hand was well aware that tonightâ??s visiting team would be no easy feat. However the Giants fans were hoping for a continuation of the form shown the night before when they shut out the Basingstoke Bison 6-0.

There would be no shut out tonight however, it was the Bees who struck first. Two and a half minutes into the second period the Bees Mark Richardson netting the games first goal unassisted. The BNL champs showing that they werenâ??t going to make it easy for the Giants, who need the points in the race for the Elite League title.

The Giants hit back however with three goals before the end of the second session. A drilled shot from Shane Johnson drew the sides level against his former side. With Curt Bowen and Bees Mike Rees sitting out roughing penalties, George â??Big Ladâ?? Awada latched on to pass from Shane Johnson to give the home side the goal advantage.

Mel Angelstad was given a 2 minute penalty for charging toward the end of the period, but this season the Giants have been quite apt at scoring the shorthanded goals. Tonight was no different. Curts Bowen and Huppe broke away to be 2 on the Bees netminder Lyle, Huppe turned provider for Bowen who gave the Giants the two goal advantage as the period ended.

Jan Krulis was not too happy with this however and his attitude toward Referee Nigel Boniface wasnâ??t going be accepted. Krulis was sent for an early shower with a 10 minute Misconduct with 20 minute Game Penalty for Unsportsmanlike Conduct.

Only 30 seconds into the 3rd period the Giants increased their advantage further. Frederick Nasvall firing home from Curtis Huppe and Todd Kelman and the Giants seemed to be well in control.

However the game was far from over. With Marc Levers in the box for charging, the Bees took advantage, this time it was the other Richardson, Lee Richardson who fired past Martin Klempa and give the Bees a glimpse of a comeback.

This became more than a glimpse when, at 54.56, Lukas Smital made it a one goal game. Finding the Bees third goal and giving the Odyssey crowd a tense final 6 minutes. And despite both Tony Hand and Mel Angelstad receiving penalty calls in the final minute, and the Beeâ??s pulling their Goalie for a 6 on 3, the Giants weathered the storm and finished the match with the 2 points.

Vital points in the title race for the Giants. The Coventry Blaze fired a late winner against the Sheffield Steelers tonight to win 2-1 and the Cardiff Devils also overcame their BNL opponents the Fife Flyers 6-4 to keep the pressure on and make sure that the final few weeks of the Elite League are going to be very tense and exciting for the fans and players alike.

Patrick Smyth