Giants defeated by Fife in Elite League shootout

Summary

Belfast Giants 3-4 Fife Flyers (Result)

Live Reporting

Fife win shootout to claim two pointspublished at 21:31 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January
Belfast Giants 3-4 Fife Flyers (after shootout)
It took seven rounds and Kyle Osterberg scored three times as Fife win the shootout and claim the extra point.
This game sums up the Giants season. Great in patches, at least good enough to skate to a 3-0 lead only to see it disappear through turnovers and penalties and eventually another point slips away in a shootout.
More changes for the Giants are likely on the way. It's ultimately another disappointing evening.
They move onto Cardiff on Sunday night
Now it's a shoot-out for the extra pointpublished at 21:22 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January
Belfast Giants 3-3 Fife Flyers
And on we go to another shootout - both sides have seen a few of these recently
And it's overtimepublished at 21:13 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January
Belfast Giants 3-3 Fife Flyers
The Giants powerplay can't find a winner and so we head to 5-minute sudden death 3-on-3 overtime
Late, late powerplay for Giantspublished at 21:09 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January
Belfast Giants 3-3 Fife Flyers
2:05 remaining and the Giants have a powerplay. Can they grab a late winner?
GOAL! Fife tie the game on powerplaypublished at 21:02 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January
Belfast Giants 3-3 Fife Flyers
Only 9 seconds remained on the 5-on-3 and Jackson Whistle was producing heroics but couldn't keep out the effort from Kyle Osterberg
Fife on powerplay looking for tying goalpublished at 20:58 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January
Belfast Giants 3-2 Fife Flyers
It's been pretty frenetic with both sides having chances but Fife now have the man advantage with 7:45 to go
And now it's a two-man advantage for 1:08
Image source, Press Eye
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Third period action
Third period begins....published at 20:39 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January
Belfast Giants 3-2 Fife Flyers
So can the Belfast Giants stroll onto victory or will Fife complete a famous comeback?
Third period begins with the Giants on the powerplay
Image source, Press Eye
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Second period action
All to play for after wild second periodpublished at 20:23 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January
Belfast Giants 3-2 Fife Flyers
This game is fairly flying by. It's end-to-end and fun to watch. Not for the time this season a sizeable Giants lead doesn't guarantee a win.
They'll begin the final period with 1:55 of a powerplay remaining.
Image source, Press Eye
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Bobby MacIntyre denied
GOAL! Fife eat into Giants advantagepublished at 20:14 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January
Belfast Giants 3-2 Fife Flyers
It's now a one-goal game as Fife score just after their powerplay had ended.
A terrific wrist shot from the right circle by Troy Lajeunesse who grabs his second.
Fife now going back on the powerplay again
Image source, Press Eye
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Fife celebrate a second goal
GOAL! Fife on the boardpublished at 19:57 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January
Belfast Giants 3-1 Fife Flyers
Bad turnover by the Giants Daniel Tedesco and Fife pounce to score through Troy Lajeunesse
Image source, Press Eye
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Fife score
GOAL! Baum makes it three for the Giantspublished at 19:53 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January
Belfast Giants 3-0 Fife Flyers
Forget what I said about the Giants not running away in too many games this season. They may be about to do just that.
Kohei Sato sets up Matty McLeod who sees his shot saved by Lindskoug but Jeff Baum is following the play and slots home the rebound.
Image source, Press Eye
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Jeff Baum scores
GOAL! Giants double advantagepublished at 19:51 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January
Belfast Giants 2-0 Fife Flyers
It took only 17 seconds after the restart for the Giants to score on the powerplay.
Charlie Curti's shot from the blueline finds its way past the screen set up by Greg Printz.
The goal is checked on replay by the officials for any goaltending interference but it's s good goal
Image source, Press Eye
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Giants second goal
Puck dropped on second periodpublished at 19:48 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January
Belfast Giants 1-0 Fife Flyers
The Giants with the advantage but they haven't run away with too many games this season so Fife, despite only three shots so far, won't be discouraged as the second period gets underway.
One little note - Fife's Colin Shirley's sister Grace played here this afternoon for Providence in the Friendship Series.
Image source, Press Eye
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First period action
PRINCETON TIGERS WIN FRIENDSHIP SERIESpublished at 19:33 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January
Congratulations to Princeton Tigers who won the Friendship Series earlier today here at the SSE Arena as they defeated Providence College 2-1 with a late powerplay winner.
The Tigers had won the first game on Friday 6-1....
Image source, Press Eye
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Princeton Tigers
Giants lead at the end of twenty minutespublished at 19:31 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January
Belfast Giants 1-0 Fife Flyers
The first period is in the books and Ben Lake's goal separates the sides. The shots on net see the Giants with a 16-3 advantage so they would have hoped to be further ahead.
The home side will start the second period with 33 seconds remaining of powerplay time.
Image source, Press Eye
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Josh Roach back for the Giants
Giants on top late in first periodpublished at 19:25 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January
Belfast Giants 1-0 Fife Flyers
The Giants are buzzing around the net of Kevin Lindskoug but can't find the second goal yet.
At the other end shots from Teemu Pulkkinen and Max Humitz have forced good saves from Jackson Whistle
GOAL! Lake gives Giants the leadpublished at 19:15 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January
Belfast Giants 1-0 Fife Flyers
The Giants build on momentum from their first powerplay and open the scoring.
Travis Brown throws the puck on net and in the scramble that followed Ben Lake had three whacks at it before forcing it home.
Image source, Press Eye
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Ben Lake celebrates
First period underwaypublished at 19:00 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January
Belfast Giants 0-0 Fife Flyers
Here we go then with the first game of 2024...
Puck is dropped and we are underway
Image source, Press Eye
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Former Giants coach Doug Christiansen, now ECAC Commissioner, drops the puck
Hockey Night in Belfast...published at 18:52 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January
Belfast Giants v Fife Flyers (19:00 GMT)
Welcome to Belfast as the Giants face Fife Flyers at the SSE Arena.
Both teams look to put disappointing Christmas periods behind them.
The Giants were beaten by Glasgow and dropped a point in Dundee as they slipped to 11 points off top spot.
Fife managed a Hogmanay win over Glasgow to end their losing run, but have been boosted by the news that Kevin Lindskoug's ITC was cleared on Friday and he starts between the pipes tonight.
Belfast meanwhile re-signed Will Cullen after adding Miles Gendron to Injured Reserve and tonight Josh Roach makes his long awaited return from injury.
Image source, BBC Sport
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Belfast Giants v Fife Flyers