Two goals ten seconds apart in the final minute at The Spectrum Centre helped the Belfast Giants to an extremely timely win as they snapped a four-game Elite League losing streak in dramatic fashion against the Guildford Flames.
A tense game looked destined for overtime as Ben Lake’s first period opener was cancelled out by Josh Waller’s powerplay goal in the second period for the Flames and, despite the Giants having a goal washed out for a questionable interference call and hitting the frame of the goal a remarkable five times, it appeared the two sides would be inseparable at the final buzzer.
But just when it seemed Belfast’s luck was out yet again, up stepped Josh Roach and Jordan Kawaguchi to strike with 58 and 48 seconds remaining respectively to end their winless run at just the right time, particularly with Brett Ferguson scoring right on the final buzzer for a last-second Flames consolation.
Improving to 31-10-4 on the season, the victory not only maintains the Giants’ three-point lead at the top of the table over the Sheffield Steelers with a game in hand, but it also ensures they go into Wednesday’s mouth-watering Challenge Cup Final against the Cardiff Devils on the back of a win rather than still carrying that poor streak.
Head coach Adam Keefe will know there is still much to improve, namely an 0-for-4 powerplay that could have helped, but simply having two points on the board for the first time since February 22 will be a relief.
The Giants were up 3:49 in through a beautiful solo goal from Lake, the centre with the silky skating to go through the slot and firing home on the backhand for his 11th of the season, but Waller would level 7:46 into the second period when Lake himself took a slashing penalty, the winger forcing the puck in from close range after Tom McCollum — 24 saves — had made the initial stop.
How the Giants didn’t lead before the dramatic final minute is anyone’s guess as Pierre-Olivier Morin and Kawaguchi both rang the iron late on a second period powerplay and then Scott Conway had the puck in the net early in the third when he finished a rush with David Goodwin, only for it be washed out as J.J. Piccinich was called for interference on the same rush.
When Cooper hit the post twice and Bobo Carpenter clanged one off the bar on the powerplay, it looked like it was going to be another one of those nights for the visitors, but Roach put them ahead at 59:02 when he ripped in a one-timer off a face-off and Kawaguchi put in the rebound off Cooper’s initial shot ten seconds later for a remarkable win, with Ferguson’s last-second tip-in essentially irrelevant.