Giants remain unbeaten with road win

Photo: Mark Ferris

Belfast Giants continued their 100% start to the season with a road win in Manchester, inflicting a third straight home defeat on the Storm.

In a busy start, a looping puck initially stopped by Evan Weninger was knocked home by Scot Conway to put the Giants ahead with 1:45 played. Mark Cooper doubled the lead at 4:51, with Bobo Carpenter capping an excellent eight minutes for the visitors by adding a third. Storm got on the board with a well-placed wrist shot from Alexis D’Aoust but trailed by two after 20 minutes in a period that saw the Giant’s Gabe Bast ejected on an unsportsmanlike conduct call after a whistle.

Mike Lee one-timed Bo Hanson’s pass straight past Weninger off a Ben Lake faceoff win to make it 4-1 2:25 into period two, but Storm hit back just 13 seconds later thanks to a Jake Durflinger tip off a Zach Sullivan shot from the point.

With a two-goal difference between the teams through 40 minutes, the next goal was always going to be crucial. It went the way of the Giants on the powerplay with nice passing setting up Elijiah Barriga in the slot 1:25 into the final period. Cooper scored his second just under two minutes later to make it 6-2, but Storm weren’t done and pulled one back through Owen Griffiths. Weninger was pulled with 2:14 to go as Storm tried to find three goals, but Cooper make it a hat trick with an empty netter 1:49 from the final buzzer.