Out of the hands of the Giants to win the EIHL title

Despite scoring eight goals during the Scottish weekend trip, the Stena Line Belfast Giants could only reap two points and now need help from elsewhere to repeat the league’s title honours from last year.

The hero of the weekend was Belfast’s Andrew Fournier, returning to his prolific scoring action after netting four goals, three of which came from the 6-2 victory over Braehead’s winless streak of nine straight losses.

As much as the loss was a bitter pill for the Clan to swallow it was sweet revenge for the Giants as the last time these two teams met it was a 6-2 score line in favor of Braehead.

The lack of a scoring punch was the killer blow for Braehead who failed twice on a 5 on 3 powerplay during the second period whilst Belfast scored four.

Fournier netted first in the only goal of the first. In the second period the Giants scored from Noah Clark but the Clan pulled one back from Matt Hanson.

Belfast got to work scoring two in less than a minute from Brock Matheson then Fournier. Belfast added a fifth from Darryl Lloyd still with five minutes left in the middle period. Braehead got some consolation as Matt Haywood scored to make it 5-2.

With the game nicely sewn up it was left only for Fournier to complete his hat trick to give the Giants the win.

Next up were the resurgent Edinburgh Capitals who probably dealt a near fatal blow to the Belfast league title quest after taking a 3-0 lead in the third period and withstanding a big Giants’ comeback that in the end fell short.

The Capitals now move to within three points off the falling Cardiff Devils in fifth place after the victory. The Giants now face a six point gap to bridge with only four league games remaining two of which are against the Nottingham Panthers in the Odyssey Arena.

The game was an Edinburgh classic, getting off to a rapid start by scoring after just eighty-five seconds through Brent Patry, before shutting the back door; Edinburgh just played a waiting game knowing that Belfast had to start to chase the result.

The Capitals’ Rene Jarolin scored on the powerplay to take a two-goal lead in the second period and the final blow to the Giants’ ambitions was when Marcis Zembergs made it 3-0 midway through the third period.

Belfast’s hope sprung eternal as two quick goals from first Craig Peacock then Andrew Fournier pulled the Giants to within a single goal. The Giants threw everything at the Capitals including the proverbial Belfast sink however despite outshooting the home side by 16 to 7 in the period there was to be no more scoring.

Edinburgh’s Player Coach Richard Hartmann and his side were celebrating a great win at the final buzzer. Where as former coach of the Capitals, now Giants’ Head Coach Doug Christiansen stated.

“The Capitals are always a dangerous team especially if they get their noses out in front early in the game. They build on that by shutting the back door waiting for their chances on the break.

I always felt that Edinburgh was a top five team in the Elite League and they are only three points from achieving the goal. We now have to pick up the pieces by defeating Nottingham twice in Fortress Odyssey and hope that Cardiff Devils could manage a victory in their last two contests home and away against those very same Panthers.”

The Giants’ season now rests on Belfast finally finding their way past Nottingham and hoping that Welsh pride overcomes their slide into sixth place. Is it now time for Belfast to open their Magic Box of Tricks?