Giants edge out Clan on the road

Credit: Al Goold

Giants edge out Clan on the road

GLASGOW CLAN 2 BELFAST GIANTS 3

Steven McParland’s second period solo goal was a highlight for the Glasgow Clan, but they came up short as Belfast Giants took a 3-2 win from Braehead Arena.

The Giants were first to threat on goal as David Goodwin broke away early in the first period only to rattle the pipe with his shot.

It didn’t take long for the action to get underway in the game as Brad Kennedy and Kevin Raine dropped the gloves after a big open ice hit less than two minutes into the game.

Clan were the first on the score board though as Mathieu Roy provided the lead to the home side when he arrived first to the puck after the pad save from Giants goalie Jackson Whistle on a shot from Mitch Jones who claimed the assist as Roy packed in the rebound.

A broken panel of plexi glass halted play in the first, but soon after the restart, Giants pulled themselves level as David Goodwin picked up the puck behind the net and set up Scott Conway for a top shelf snipe to level the game.

The Giants found their way into the lead for the first time through another Conway goal as he picked up the rebound from Mark Cooper’s shot in the crease and knocked it past Driscoll.

A dangerous opportunity arose for the Clan as they bore down on the Giants net but Whistle was fast to it to keep the puck out before a melee broke out in the crease leading to two players from each side being sent to the box for roughing.

Steven McParland made an impressive drive from the right side of the ice to the crease before finishing off the play with a slotted finish through the five-hole of Whistle to put the Clan back on level terms.

Despite the Clan showing promise on the attack, Giants who broke the stalemate as Conway burst into the zone and slotted the puck into the far side of the net at high speed just before the second intermission for his hat-trick.

An impressive performance from both netminders saw a shutout in the third period as the Clan had to accept a loss despite an array of promising opportunities.