Giants fight back to beat Coventry

Photo: Scott Wiggins

Belfast Giants came from two goals down to beat Coventry Blaze 3-2 in front of 1,923 fans at the Skydome.

Returning from a few weeks out injured, Giants' netminder Tyler Beskorowany was beaten twice inside eight minutes as the Blaze took an early two-goal lead. Jonny Curran put the hosts 1-0 up with just 57 seconds played, before Janne Laakkonen was left with an empty net to aim at after Luke Ferrara's pass to make it two at 7:06. 

Beskorowany was, however, the main reason the Blaze didn't extend their lead in the remainder of the period as the visitors struggled to generate much going forward.

Whatever Giants Head Coach Adam Keefe said in the break clearly had the desired effect as the Giants came out looking a different team in period two. Lewis Hook got the visitors on the boars 8:40 into period two on a delayed penalty, with Tyler Soy providing the pass as he was brought to the ground. At 34:02, Sam Ruopp came into the slot unmarked and fired past CJ Motte to level the game, while 16 seconds later Kevin Raine blasted past the Blaze netminder from the point to put Belfast ahead. A combination of Motte and Justin Hamonic prevented the Giants from going further ahead late in the period.

Coventry pressed for an equaliser in period three and came close on a couple of occasions, while at the other end had Motte to thank for the score not getting further away from them.

In the dying stages, the Blaze thought they might have tied things when Jonny Curran's shot hit the crossbar and bounced in the crease - but did it cross the line? The lack of any working goal line technology in Coventry, a constant for the majority of the 2021/22 season, gave the officials no choice but to go with the initial, on-ice decision of no goal without any possibility of reviewing the video. That was the last action as the Giants managed out the final 20 seconds to take an important road win.