Clan continue excellent run
Photo: Al Goold
Glasgow Clan made it seven wins in eight games with a 5-1 victory over Belfast Giants at a sold-out crowd of 3,607 at Braehead Arena.
A feisty opening period at Braehead Arena saw Clan in the lead despite spending some nine minutes of the period shorthanded. Simon Despres’ shot from the point was deflected into his own net by Ben Lake in the slot with 4:12 played, while four minutes later the Clan went short when Tyson McLellan was called for roughing – despite good pressure from the Giants, Rylan Schwartz was also unlucky not to score shorthanded. Mitchell Heard and Mark Cooper were called for fighting which the former most definitely started, and took an instigator penalty as well.
In the final five minutes of the period, Chris McKay was ejected for a hit on Mack Stewart, called checking to the head after video review.
With the game being played 4-on-4, Schwartz then did put the Clan two ahead. Simon Despres let Cole Ully's feed pass through his legs to the on-rushing Schwartz who fired past Tom McCollum 67 seconds into the period. That was the only goal of the middle session, which saw Clan failed to capitalise on two powerplays.
Clan again started the new period quickly. With 70 seconds played in the third, a Schwartz feed to the front of the net was poked through McCollum's five-hole by Deven Sideroff to make the home side three ahead. Josh Roach finally got the Giants on the board at 42:13 to make it a two-goal game.
Inside the final ten minutes, Elijiah Barriga was found in all kinds of space but could only watch Lucas Brine deny him cutting the deficit back to just a goal.
That save proved crucial just a few minutes later. with 9:09 to play, Sideroff fed Heard who beat McCollum with a delicate finish high into the net to put Clan back three ahead.
McCollum was pulled with well over two minutes to play as the Giants tried to force something to get back into the game, while captain Sideroff finished the scoring with an empty-netter in the closing stages.
