13 Apr 2024 | Play-off | QF | SSE Arena Belfast |
Belfast Giants | 2-1 | Coventry Blaze |
Periods: Shots: | 0-0 (13-6) | 2-1 (12-10) | 0-0 (12-8) | Total: 37-24 |
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Referees: Smith/Ferguson  |  Spectators: 7411 |
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Goals and assists
Belfast Giants will take a one-goal aggregate lead to Coventry for
the second leg of their Playoff series, having beaten the Blaze 2-1 in
front of 7,411 fans at the SSE Arena.
A scoreless and tight opening period began this Quarter-Final
series, Taran Kozun notably pulling off an excellent pad save to keep
things all square.
The Giants went ahead just 19 seconds into period two with Greg
Printz passing from below the goal line to Oliver Cooper to slot past
Kozun and open the scoring. On a Cameron Pound Tripping minor, Mitch
Cook reacted fastest to Jackson Whistle spilling a JD Dudek shot as
Coventry tied the game at 24:58. The Giants survived another penalty
kill before making use of a man-advantage of their own - Daniel
Tedesco's throw on the net bounced off Ben Lake at the top of the crease
to put the Giants back ahead with 31:28 played.
That was where
the scoring stopped, with just one of the three periods on the night
producing goals. The final period ended without penalties and 19 shots
across both goalies.