Giants take OT win after surviving late penalties

Photo: Flyers Images

Belfast Giants survived two 5-on-3 penalty kills before beating Fife Flyers in overtime at Fife Ice Arena to pick up their second win of the week over the Flyers.

After a scoreless opening period, Belfast thought they'd broken the deadlock 31 minutes into the game. However, Tom Coolen challenged for Goaltender Interference on Shane Owen and won, keeping the score at 0-0. It wasn't long until the visitors did go ahead, though, Oliver Cooper on the powerplay play 32:47 just 35 seconds into Troy Lajeunesse's Cross-Checking minor. The Flyers were behind for only 19 seconds with Lajeunesse tying the game up at 33:06. The period ended, deservedly, all square, with the Flyers almost going ahead in the final seconds but without the final shot to beat Tyler Beskorowany.

2:18 into period three, Kyle Osterberg went forehand-backhand before beating Beskorowany five-hole for an excellent goal to put the Flyers ahead for the first time in the game. Oliver Cooper tied things up just over ten minutes later with a rebound on the powerplay, almost a carbon copy of his goal in period two.

Cooper was binned for Tripping with 2:11 left, and things got worse for the Giants when Greg Printz shot the puck out over the boards to put his side down to three skaters with 69 seconds still on the clock. The Giants rode out the penalty kill well to earn themselves a point. 

There was drama at the start of overtime with Owen leaving the Flyers' net to be replaced by Andy Little. He had almost nothing to do in overtime, with the Giants taking another two minors but the Flyers again not able to take advantage. In the shootout, Little stopped two shots in rounds two and three but his team couldn't capitalise. Oliver Cooper scored in round five and when Max Humitz's effort was saved by Beskorowany, the visitors took the extra point.