Sato hits hat trick for Giants

Photo: Phillip Magowan

Kohei Sato logged a Gordie Howe hat trick, and then a hat trick of his own, as Belfast Giants beat Fife Flyers 7-4 with over 7,200 fans inside the SSE Arena.

It was a four-goal opening period on Cowboy night in Belfast. Teemu Pulkkinen opened the scoring shorthanded with a neat breakaway finish while Brady Poteau sat for Boarding. Travis Brown levelled at 6:39 when he got on a loose puck to push it over the line in close after Dominik Salama couldn't hold onto Cameron Pound's shot from the point. Johan Eriksson put the Flyers back ahead when he squeezed the puck past Tyler Beskorowany after being left all alone in the slot, but the period did end tied. After Poteau and Kohei Sato had dropped the gloves, Daniel Tedesco scored a fine individual goal to level things up at 16:41.

Sato then put the Giants ahead 11:37 into period two to complete a Geordie Howe hat trick following an assist on the Giants’ opening goal in the first, the only goal of period two.

The Japanese international was fast-becoming the star of the show for the home side with an individual goal through Salama’s five-hole 100 seconds into period three to give the Giants a two-goal cushion.

Lucas Chiodo did excellently to turn the puck over along the boards in the Giants’ zone and feed Vitalijs Pavlovs in front to cut the deficit back down to one with 13:40 to play as the Flyers refused to go away, but 37 seconds later David Goodwin’s one-timer took a deflection on its way to the net to put the Giants back two ahead. Tom Coolen wanted a video review on the play, but the officials were satisfied there was no high stick and play continued – coaches can only challenge goaltender interference.

Again the Flyers got themselves back to within one, but again they were undone by the Giants again quickly after. Sean Giles pulled it back to 5-4 at 49:44, only for David Goodwin to score 20 seconds later again.

Sato made it a hat trick to round off a three-goal win for the hosts.