Belfast Giants’ victory in Nottingham completes a four-point weekend for Adam Keefe..
You can’t blame head coach Adam Keefe for believing the Belfast Giants were due for a four-point weekend, considering it has been more than a month since their last one.
With a 7-6-0 record, the Giants are back above.500 after a miserable run of four straight losses and six in their previous seven games.
On Saturday, they defeated the Glasgow Clan to end that losing streak, and on Sunday, they defeated the Nottingham Panthers to earn their first weekend doubleheader since October 13–14.
Japanese winger Kohei Sato was the man of the weekend with three goals, including the game-winner at the Motorpoint Arena on Sunday, an empty-netter with 1:31 remaining, while line-mate Ara Nazarian finished the weekend with two goals and four points.
Netminder Tyler Beskorowany also returned to his dazzling best by turning away 41 shots across the two games, conceding just three.
The Giants may be still four points behind League leaders the Sheffield Steelers, who also have two games in hand over them, but all of a sudden things look much more promising than they did a week ago, especially with Keefe’s men up to fifth in the Elite League standings after starting the week in ninth.
And Sunday’s victory over the Panthers their first on the road since October 5 was specially impressive against an opponent playing their first competitive game since the tragic death of Adam Johnson last month, when a stray skate blade slashed his throat in a game against the Steelers.
Backed by Beskorowany’s stellar 27-save performance, Daniel Tedesco snapped a nine-game scoreless run with the opening goal after just 33 seconds — his fifth of the season — although Panthers defenceman Jake Ryzcek tied it up 52 seconds later.
Matt McLeod produced a goal of the season contender for his fourth of the campaign and the go-ahead goal just 1:22 into the third period for a lead the Giants would never relinquish.
Sato and Nazarian added empty netters either side of Didrik Henbrant’s response for the home side inside the final 91 seconds to secure the win for Keefe’s men, leaving the head coach pleased with his side’s endeavour and grit.
“It was a difficult one, for sure,” said Keefe, who was forced to play with just five defencemen and ten forwards after an injury to Miles Gendron on Saturday.
It was a difficult one, for sure,” said Keefe, who was forced to play with just five defencemen and ten forwards after an injury to Miles Gendron on Saturday.
“I thought our guys did a job. A couple of weeks ago, or last week, we were finding ways to lose those games. Tonight we found a way to win. That was important
Down a body from yesterday and already light-bodied, the guys found a way tonight. Nice to see there were some real big efforts there.
“I thought Besko was great. Some big blocked shots at the end there when we were under siege from Nottingham on the big pushback.
“Overall, a pretty solid hockey game on the road. A four-point weekend, those haven’t been coming around for us, so we’re obviously really happy.”
It was also a positive opening weekend in a Giants jersey for new signing Bobby MacIntyre, who had two assists in the Clan win and came within inches of grabbing a first goal on a couple of occasions against the Panthers on a prolific line alongside Sato and Nazarian.
The Canadian winger may not be the only arrival at the SSE Arena this week if their injury luck does not turn, particularly with Gendron sidelined alongside Jeff Baum, with Mark Garside already on the injury reserve.
The Giants are also eager to fix their struggling powerplay, which currently sits ninth in the league after going 0-for-4 in Nottingham.
While a 6-for-6 weekend for the penalty kill was undoubtedly encouraging, on another night, this may have proved to be costly.
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