Giants earn four-point weekend

Photo: Panthers Images

Belfast Giants secured a four-point weekend with a two-goal win over Nottingham at the Motorpoint Arena in the Panthers' first competitive game since October.

It was a quick start with both teams on the scoresheet inside two minutes. Daniel Tedesco opened the scoring after only 33 seconds off a defensive turnover, but the Panthers were level 65 seconds into the game through Jake Ryczek cutting in past Greg Printz and firing into the net from the slot.

Otto Nieminen had the best chance to put the Panthers ahead in what would be a scoreless second period, but the long, out-stretched pad of Tyler Beskorowany kept him out. At the other end, Quinn Preston's shot from the circle deflected out of play off Rok Stojanovič's facemark to keep things level.

1:22 into period three, Matt McLeod broke down the wing, behind Stojanovič's net, and wrapped-around beating the Panthers goalie five-hole to put the Giants back ahead. The Panthers put Beskorowany's net under siege for most of the period thereafter, hitting a post, and drawing Beskorowany into several excellent saves. Stojanovič was pulled with exactly two minutes left, but on their second attempt at the empty net Kohei Sato hit the target for the Giants to make it 3-1 with 1:31 to play. The game wasn't yet over, however, with Didrik Hendrant driving the net and beating Beskorowany 16 seconds later to bring the score back to 3-2, but Ara Nazarian added another empty netter with 13 seconds to play to settle the game.