Giants double up at Blaze
Belfast Giants completed a four-point weekend and ended Coventry Blaze's three-game unbeaten run with a 5-2 victory at the Skydome.
Last Updated: 10/10/11 2:47pm
Belfast Giants completed a four-point weekend and ended Coventry Blaze's three-game unbeaten run with a 5-2 victory at the Skydome.
Blaze made a nightmare start as they found themselves two goals down inside four minutes after markers from George Awada and Ryan Crane.
Mark Garside (powerplay) stretched Belfast's lead with just 34 seconds of the first period remaining and the game was as good as over when Awada added a fourth.
Matic Kralj gave Blaze fans hope with a quickfire double, however Awada's hat-trick sealed an impressive road triumph for Belfast.
Nottingham Panthers remain second in the table after they eased to a 3-0 victory over Braehead Clan at the Trent FM Arena.
Boosted by the season debut of Mike Bayrack but without ill player/coach Drew Bannister, Clan were unable to stop the powerful Panthers, who recorded markers through Scott Champagne (18.51), Stephen Lee (41.21) and Robert Lachowicz (59.38).
Misconduct
Also on Sunday night, Sheffield Steelers held their nerve on penalties to edge a 3-2 win at Cardiff Devils.
Mike Ramsay's shootout strike was good enough for Steelers to take the extra point after the teams had shared four goals in regulation and overtime.
Steelers have now won five and tied one from their last six matches but it's a first loss in three for Devils.
Hull Stingrays went down to their fourth successive defeat after being beaten 3-1 at Dundee Stars.
Stingrays, without the suspended Derek Campbell following his match penalty against Belfast the previous night, fell behind in the 12th minute when Alan Mazur shot past netminder Christian Boucher.
But Jereme Tendler levelled in the 38th minute with his sixth goal of the season before Stingrays defenceman Dmitry Rodin was ejected on a five-plus-game misconduct for kneeing with 19 seconds of the middle session remaining.
On the resulting powerplay, player-coach Dan Ceman put Stars back in front and Jarrett Konkle stretched their advantage three minutes later.
Stingrays could not find a way back into the game and lost for the sixth straight game on the road.
In the only Challenge Cup match, Edinburgh Capitals beat the Fife Flyers 8-3 in Group A, thanks largely to a Rene Jarolin hat-trick.
