Giants move into second with win over the Flames

The Flames were the better team in the opening period but couldn't find a way past Tyler Beskorowany who turned away a series of good chances for the visitors.

Speaking on GiantsTV on Sunday ahead of the game against the Fife Flyers netminder Tyler Beskorowany took a little time to look back on what had been a crucial win against the Guildford Flames.

“Those are the kind of games that you want to play in,” he explained, “that is why you play hockey. I think its important to show up for those big games, they are the ones that get you going.

“The big games like that are easy to get up while with games like tonight against Fife its a little harder.

“But every point matters to us right now and it was a fun game to be involved with for sure.”

He agreed that it was an important game to get a win in as the Giants head down the home straight to the end of the season.

“The regulation game win goes a long way in this league, especially with the Steelers having to go to overtime to secure their win, and of course the Devils lost to Coventry.

“In my first year we ended up winning the league over regulation wins. So a win like that will go a long way in this league.

“It is all about gaining as much can on the other teams who are competing for the top slots.

“I think, at the end of the day, its about worrying about ourselves and not the other teams. In a four horse race like that we find ourselves in.”

He agreed that you should underestimate a team like the Fife Flyers, taking the points of them is the all important point of the game on Sunday.

“You can't take them lightly either. They came out strong and beat Sheffield in the first leg of their Challenge Cup semi-final, they are hungry. It seems that every time the come to play us at the SSE the have their A game on them.

“For a lot of their guys its a showcase for them to get to play in a big arena like this.

“I think especially when I came here when I was playing for Edinburgh.

“Everyone wants to come into this rink and showcase themselves and play well.”

Some 45 seconds into period two, Logan Fredericks finished in front after good work from Peter Crinella to put the Flames ahead.

Belfast responded on the powerplay through Steve Owre 91 seconds later, and it was their special teams again that led to them taking the lead through Henrik Eriksson with 4.13 remaining in the middle period.

Eamon McAdam denied Scott Conway on a couple of odd-man rushes in period three as the game became stretched with the Flames chasing an equaliser.

They were given a golden opportunity to tie things up with a double-minor on Gabe Bast with 5.09 to play, but a Ben O'Connor roughing penalty 67 seconds later cancelled out most of that opportunity.

Belfast had a couple of looks at the empty net, while Beskorowany turned away all 11 shots he faced in the period to keep the Flames out.

Meanwhile, a blistering opening period helped Belfast Giants to a 9-4 win on Sunday night, completing a perfect week for Adam Keefe's men.

The Giants started the game off strong, with two goals in quick succession. Steven Owre netted the first goal at 0.30 into the game, burying the rebound off Sam Ruopp’s shot. Mark Cooper extended the Giants’ lead 2 minutes later with a quick goal.

In the middle of the first period the Giants capitalised on a lone offensive zone play with Gabe Bast sniping a one-timer into the net on the powerplay. David Goodwin scored the fourth goal of the game still within the first period, when Conway passed into the slot and he tapped it into the open net.

The fifth goal of the game, as well as of the period, was scored at 19.05 by Eriksson on the powerplay, as his shot was deflected to put the Giants up 5-0.

Zack Phillips opened the scoring in the second period, burying a one-timer at 23.18 to put the Flyers on the board. Bari McKenzie then scored the visitors' second bringing them back to within three at 28.33.

Jeff Baum scored his first goal of the season at 32.08, netting the sixth goal for the Giants to put them back four ahead.

Bast grabbed his second of the night early in the third period on a breakaway at 42.46 to pull the Giants further away, but Zack Phillips joined him as a two-goal-scorer with a goal of his own at 49.38. Liam MacDougall's first for the Flyers came at 57.06 on the powerplay, but again the Giants answered right back - Henrik Eriksson the scorer this time.

A final score of 9-4 was set with Scott Conway’s goal at 59.35 that bounced in off of a defender.

Elsewhere in the league both the Coventry Blaze and the Nottingham Panthers did the Giants’ (and Sheffield Steelers) a favour by nicking points of the Cardiff Devils.

The Panthers played overtime for the second time this weekend but came out winners on Sunday night at a sold-out Ice Arena Wales.

Brodie Reid gave the Devils the lead with the only goal of period one, finishing a rebound from a Josh Waller shot after the latter had forced a turnover in the Panthers’ zone at 13.02.

Three-on-three overtime was as chaotic as the previous three periods had been, but it was the Panthers who won it when Bowns saved the initial shot but couldn't find a loose puck that dropped to the stick of Albin Lindgren to win it for the visitors.