Belfast Giants were brought back to earth after the Champions Hockey League with an almighty bump, while Dundee Stars left the SSE Arena with a 7-4 victory in the opening evening.
The Giants opened the score with their first chance of The PowerPlay: Mike Lee found JJ Piccinich in the lock, who shot the puck in the roof of the net at 5:07 at 5:07.
Thindee made up three minutes later, also on the PowerPlay. Yamamoto went back to Kamon Kielly, who had enough time to pick his place and to fire at 8:08 to Alexis Gravel.
The stars put Belfast under pressure after the equalizer and, although they could not benefit from their second powerplay, they still managed to take the lead with six seconds in the first period. Ben Almquist chose Matt Berry, just outside the fold, and Berry managed to sneak the puck by sneaking the five-hole van Gravel to give the stars the advantage.
“I thought our team was playing well. We got out of it hard and we got a lead and we just kept building on it. I thought we were playing a really good game, except the powerplay that I thought we were playing a really good 5-on-5 game,” said Berry who came to the stars of Glasgow in the summer.
“It is huge for us who come in and win here. Belfast is one of the best teams every season, so it’s great for our group to come in here and achieve a big victory on the road.”
The Giants started the second period well and took an equalizer on the Powerplay. Piccinich founded Nicolas Guay, who hit Jarrett Fiske a one-timer at 26:42.
However, Belfast was less than a minute before he was caught in the defense. Hampus Olsson found Berry, who ended well beyond Grind to restore Dundee’s lead at 27:30.
Belfast had another chance to be the same on the PowerPlay, but it was Dundee who hit Shorted. Gravel came out to erase the puck, but his approval was intercepted by Bradley Schoonbaert, who fed Jackson Desouza to score in an empty net and the stars to give a pillow with two goals at 32:56. That led the Giants to call a time out and change goalkeepers, where Jackson Whistle Grind replaces.
The hosts managed to get one back, again on the Powerplay, when Jake Gaudet got a touch on Mike Lee’s shot to beat Fiske at 37:20.
The aim of Ben Almquist 5:10 In the third period, the stars brought back with two, and although the Giants cut back the shortage to one by 10 minutes to play through another Gaudet strike, Dundee did not have to be refused. Matt Boudens made 6–4 on it at 52:49 Before Justin Bean ended the score with just over five minutes.
Berry concluded: “It seemed that tonight our team was really resilient. Every time they found a goal that we immediately answered. I think one was the next service and another was just a few services later we took a lead of two goals. It is huge, playing with a two-goal lead is much better.
Photo: William Cherry
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