Cardiff Devils suffered heartache in Belfast when they were edged 3-2 out after sudden death overtime and a penalty shootout.
They were locked on 2-2 after 60 minutes, Evan Mosey and Charlies Linglet scored for Cardiff, but were beaten 3-2 in the shootout.
Devils’ Joey Martin started and finished a flowing passing move which opened up Giants, tapping into the net from close in. But the officials were perfectly placed and immediately ruled the effort out because they felt it had been kicked in as Martin tried to get his feet out of the way.
Both teams hit posts, while goalie Tyler Beskorowany was Belfast’s man of the match after a magnificent personal performance form.
Both teams gave everything in a pulsating, tense, which was full of drama for the right reasons.
GOOOOOOOOOALLLLL🚨
Vandermeer makes it rain 🧸 at 5:12!
Giants 1-0 Devils pic.twitter.com/pELcVxOBQA
— Belfast Giants (@BelfastGiants) December 9, 2018
British player Josh Batch and Belfast’s Jonathan Ferland went and were sent to the sin bin just after the half hour on five minute penalties, while both teams played their part in an end-to-end, hugely competitive clash.
Bryce Reddick was named Devils man of the match and the visitors could easily have come out on top.
They were edged out, but still return from Northern Ireland with a point because the scores were level after regulation time. Devils are now four points behind Giants with two games in hand – and the teams still have to play each other another four times.
David Rutherford scored the only goal in the shootout, while Devils’ players who took penalties were Matt Pope, Mike Hedden, Jake Morissette, Joey Martin and Charles Linglet.
Defeat for second-placed Nottingham Panthers against Coventry Blaze will also have helped Belfast and Cardiff.
Match stats:
Scorers, Giants: Jim Vandermeer 1+0, Blair Riley 1+0, David Rutherford 0+2, Hunter Bishop 0+1, Darcy Murphy 0+1.
Devils: Evan Mosey 1+1, Charles Linglet 1+0, Gleason Fournier 0+2, Mark Louis 0+1.
Penalties in minutes: Giants 2+5+0=7; Devils 6+5+2=13.
Period scores (Belfast first): 1-1; 1-0 (2-1); 0-1 (2-2); 0-0 (2-2). Giants won the shootout 1-0 after five penalties each.
Shots on goal: Giants (on Bowns) 15+10+9+5=39; Devils (on Beskorowany) 8+11+12+4=35.
Special teams: Giants PK 1/1, PP 1/5; Devils PK 4/5, PP 0/1.
Referees: Andrew Dalton and Stefan Hogarth.
Stars of the game: Giants, Tyler Beskorowany; Devils, Bryce Reddick.
Other Sunday results:
Glasgow Clan 2, Manchester Storm 4
Manchester made it two straight wins over the weekend with an important victory in Glasgow over the Clan to go level on points with the Scottish side.
Storm owed their win to an excellent opening 10 minutes or so which put then well in control of the game in Glasgow.
Shane Bakker got the ball rolling with the first goal at 3-29, followed just over three minutes later by Evan Richardson doubling the lead. With 10-43 on the clock the visitors went three ahead when Richardson again came up with the finish.
Matt Beca replied for Clan at 17-16, but hopes of a comeback were dashed when Felix-Antoine Poulin made it 4-1 to the visitors (32-06).
Another Beca goal, this one on the powerplay, brought the Clan back to within two again with 7-12 to go. Storm held out and secured two vital road points.
Dundee Stars 2, Sheffield Steelers 3 (OT)
Two late goals from the Steelers saw them rescue the game and force overtime in Dundee after the Stars had led by two going into the final two minutes.
After a goalless first period Stars took the lead when Francois Bouchard netted on 37-56 played. Bouchard doubled the lead with only 7-22 left in the third, but Steelers hit back through Justin Buzzeo with one minute six seconds left and with 30 seconds to go Ben O’Connor’s shot through traffic found the net.
Coventry Blaze 4, Nottingham Panthers 3 (OT)
A third period comeback from the Blaze, who trailed 0-2 and 1-3, was enough to force overtime with the home side then taking the extra point.
Dylan Olsen and Ollie Betteridge gave Panthers a 2-0 lead, while Ben Lake pulled a goal back.
Brett Perlini re-established the visitors’ two-goal lead at 47-36, but Blaze fought back to score two goals through Luke Ferrara (43-47) and Nicolai Bryhnisveen 56-02).
Blaze took the points thanks to Justin Hache’s shot from the point 20 seconds into the extra period.
Milton Keynes Lightning 4, Fife Flyers 2
Robbie Baillargeon (2), Michael Fine and Tim Wallace scored for Lightning, who led 2-0 and were hauled back by goals from Mike Cazzola and Evan Bloodoff as Flyers drew level.
ELITE ICE HOCKEY LEAGUE 2018/19
| TEAM | GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | PCT | GF | GA | PIM | STREAK |
| Belfast Giants | 26 | 20 | 6 | 0 | 40 | .769 | 99 | 55 | 353 | 2-0 |
| Nottingham Panthers | 28 | 16 | 7 | 5 | 37 | .661 | 90 | 80 | 465 | 0-2 |
| Cardiff Devils | 24 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 36 | .750 | 97 | 67 | 256 | 0-1 |
| Fife Flyers | 26 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 32 | .615 | 92 | 87 | 351 | 0-1 |
| Guildford Flames | 24 | 13 | 10 | 1 | 27 | .563 | 82 | 76 | 321 | 0-2 |
| Sheffield Steelers | 26 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 26 | .500 | 80 | 87 | 387 | 1-0 |
| Dundee Stars | 25 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 24 | .480 | 68 | 86 | 270 | 0-1 |
| Glasgow Clan | 23 | 11 | 11 | 1 | 23 | .500 | 69 | 81 | 286 | 0-1 |
| Coventry Blaze | 24 | 9 | 10 | 5 | 23 | .479 | 78 | 90 | 350 | 1-0 |
| Manchester Storm | 25 | 10 | 12 | 3 | 23 | .460 | 69 | 87 | 709 | 2-0 |
| Milton Keynes Lightning | 25 | 8 | 15 | 2 | 18 | .360 | 62 | 90 | 521 | 1-0 |