Cardiff Devils 7-4 Hull Stingrays
The Excel Hull Stingrays Challenge Cup hopes tonight suffered a blow as they went down by seven goals to four in Cardiff after conceding three goals in less than three second period minutes.
A first goal for Jozef Sladok and another marker from Konstantin Kalmikov had given the Rays a 2-1 first period lead before Cardiff levelled through coach Gerad Adams just prior to the first break after initially taking the lead through Max Birbraer five minutes in.
The Rays then collapsed, effectively handing the Devils the two points, by allowing three goals in just over 150 seconds with Tylor Michel netting a double after Birbraer had netted his second of the game.
Sylvain Cloutier's side showed brief signs of a resurgence at the beginning of the third, scoring on 44 and 45 minutes through on form goalscorers Matti Uusivirta and Jereme Tendler.
However, a third double of the night for Cardiff, this time from Jon Pelle, sealed a 7-4 Challenge Cup win in favour of the Welsh side.
Rays scorers: Sladok, Kalmikov, Uusivirta, Tendler
Cardiff scorers: Birbraer (2), Pelle (2), Adams, Michel (2)
SOG: 44-28
PIM: 30-22
Saturday, 30 October 2010
Tonks joins Rays
British forward Dean Tonks has today joined the Excel Hull Stingrays on a two-way contract from ENL side the Solihull Barons.
Friday, 29 October 2010
30th/31st October Haloween Weekend Preview
V
Saturday 30th October: Cardiff Devils v Excel Hull Stingrays @ Cardiff Bay Arena F/O 7pm
Sunday 31st October: Excel Hull Stingrays v Cardiff Devils @ Hull Arena 6pm
This weekend the Excel Hull Stingrays face the Cardiff Devils for the second and third times this year having tied with Gerad Adams side on opening day less than a month ago.
The opening fixture between the two sides saw the Rays bounce back from 3-1 down to snatch their first point of the year in their first game. However, the game was marred by an incident which saw Devils blueliner Justin Sawyer ejected and later suspended for a further three games for a sucker punch on Kris Grundmanis, after Rays defencemen had allegedly manhandled top scorer Jon Pelle
Although Sawyer has now left the Devils for 'personal reasons', Adams and his side vowed to get revenge for what happened to Pelle that night and with tough guy and entertainer Brad Voth back from a thumb injury, the two game weekend series looks set to be a corker.
Since the Challenge Cup draw in early October, the Devils have gone on a run that, prior to last night, had seen them win five games in an eight game spell losing to just Belfast and Coventry. However, yesterday the Devils surprisingly handed bottom side Dundee their first win in the Elite League in a 7-3 loss in Scotland.
The Rays have been performing well recently, if not always claiming the points they deserve, and will be without four Brits through injury. Although reinforcements may or may not be on their way this weekend, deadly import trio Jereme Tender, Matti Uusivirta and Jason Silverthorn have filled the void netting ten goals between them in the last three games as Sylvain Cloutier's side picked up three points.
With a Challenge Cup game in Cardiff on Sunday, the more important fixture comes on Halloween on Sunday when Adams side travel to Hull in the Elite League for a Devil of a night.
Challenge Cup Record
Stingrays: 5TH 2GP 0W 1T 1L 6GF 9GA 1PTS
Cardiff: 2ND 5GP 2W 2T 1L 21GF 22GA 3PTS
Elite League Record
Stingrays: 7TH 7GP 2W 4L 1OTL 22GF 29GA 5PTS
Cardiff: 5TH 11GP 7W 5L 0OTL 55GF 45GA 14PTS
Form
Stingrays: L L L W L
Cardiff: W W W W L
Last 3 Meetings
v Cardiff
14/02/10 7-0 L A
21/03/10 2-3 L H
03/10/10 3-3 D H
Stingrays 10/11 Series
v Cardiff: 1GP 0 wins, 0 losses, 1 tie 1 point, 3 goals for, 3 goals against.
Top Scorers
Stingrays
G: Tendler (7)
A: Dulle (7)
PIM: Sladok (40)
Cardiff
G: Pelle (18)
A: Matzka (18)
PIM: Michel (76)
Between the Pipes
Stingrays: Christian Boucher (9GP 4.00GAA 88.7sv.%)
Cardiff: Stevie Lyle (8=17GP 4.22GAA 86.4sv.%)
Absentees
Stingrays: Lee Mitchell (knee), Ryan Lake (broken thumb), Craig Mitchell (broken arm), Lee Esders (knee)
Cardiff: Full Strength
Predictions
Cardiff 4-2 Stingrays
Stingrays 4-3 Cardiff
Wednesday, 27 October 2010
Brits the target of latest injury curse
The dreaded injury curse that will likely strangle every Elite League side over the course of the 56 game schedule has struck Sylvain Cloutier's Excel Hull Stingrays side hard and early.
Cloutier, who was last season deprived of mainly defencemen early in the year, has this season lost four British players less than a month into the campaign.
19 year old defenceman Craig Mitchell was the first victim, breaking his arm blocking a shot in Braehead, before older brother Lee followed less than a week later suffering an unspecified injury that later turned out to be a reoccurance of the knee injury that has so far plagued his career.
Forward Ryan Lake, who has started off the season where he left the sport four years ago, then broke a bone in his thumb having taken a tumble into the boards against Newcastle on Sunday, before Lee Esders injured his knee in an innocuous challenge in Belfast last night, potentially ruling him out for two months.
With the exception of Lee Mitchell, who may return in a shorter time frame depending of the severity of his injury, the foursome are all likely to sit out at least four weeks leaving Cloutier's side short for a minimum of 13 games.
The injuries might not have been so bad had they been to imports, given availability of replacement Europeans and North Americans in comparison to the scarcity of available British trained players, all of whom are already signed up and playing.
Realistically, unless he is looking for a long term replacement for one of the four, Cloutier will have to scavenge for two-way contracts with English Premier League or English National League sides, like he did last year with James Archer.
Despite quitting on the team after originally signing in the summer, Archer may be one of the players Cloutier approaches, having hit four goals and four assists in ten games with the EPL Manchester Phoenix
Indeed, there may be other options at the Phoenix, or nearby EPL sides Sheffield and Peterborough, but with the club down to just 12 outskaters, including just two Brits, Matty Davies and the inexperienced Ben Lowe, it is important the right players are signed and available to ice for the Rays as regularly and as soon as possible.
Time is not something Cloutier has in abundance though, with a home and away double header against Cardiff quickly approaching this weekend before a game in Nottingham next Wednesday.
Cloutier, who was last season deprived of mainly defencemen early in the year, has this season lost four British players less than a month into the campaign.
19 year old defenceman Craig Mitchell was the first victim, breaking his arm blocking a shot in Braehead, before older brother Lee followed less than a week later suffering an unspecified injury that later turned out to be a reoccurance of the knee injury that has so far plagued his career.
Forward Ryan Lake, who has started off the season where he left the sport four years ago, then broke a bone in his thumb having taken a tumble into the boards against Newcastle on Sunday, before Lee Esders injured his knee in an innocuous challenge in Belfast last night, potentially ruling him out for two months.
With the exception of Lee Mitchell, who may return in a shorter time frame depending of the severity of his injury, the foursome are all likely to sit out at least four weeks leaving Cloutier's side short for a minimum of 13 games.
The injuries might not have been so bad had they been to imports, given availability of replacement Europeans and North Americans in comparison to the scarcity of available British trained players, all of whom are already signed up and playing.
Realistically, unless he is looking for a long term replacement for one of the four, Cloutier will have to scavenge for two-way contracts with English Premier League or English National League sides, like he did last year with James Archer.
Despite quitting on the team after originally signing in the summer, Archer may be one of the players Cloutier approaches, having hit four goals and four assists in ten games with the EPL Manchester Phoenix
Indeed, there may be other options at the Phoenix, or nearby EPL sides Sheffield and Peterborough, but with the club down to just 12 outskaters, including just two Brits, Matty Davies and the inexperienced Ben Lowe, it is important the right players are signed and available to ice for the Rays as regularly and as soon as possible.
Time is not something Cloutier has in abundance though, with a home and away double header against Cardiff quickly approaching this weekend before a game in Nottingham next Wednesday.
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Rays gain point in Northern Ireland
Belfast Giants 5-4 Excel Hull Stingrays (AOT)
The Excel Hull Stingrays bounced back from defeat to the Belfast Giants on Saturday by taking them to overtime before eventually falling 5-4 in Northern Ireland tonight, claiming a vital and unexpected point in the process.
The visitors bucked an all too regular trend on the night, taking the lead through stand out forward Jason Silverthorn, who registered two goals and one assists in the game, before the Giants levelled through Joshua Prudden.
As was the case on Saturday, Sylvain Cloutier's struggled in the second period, conceding three times through Craig Peacock, Jon Glled and Brett Hemingway. However, Jereme Tendler netted his fifth in three games and the Rays only goal of the second to go into the final period down 4-2.
With four players already out and Mark Garside leaving the game injured, the Rays knew they would have to take advantage of the understrength Giants in the final period when they would be most tiresome.
They did that, as Matti Uusivirta netted his second in two games before Silverthorn levelled the scores at four with his second of the game, minutes after missing a penalty shot, to guarantee his side at least a point.
Unfortunately, the Giants regrouped in overtime and snatched the extra point thanks to Dan Welch, who scored the games sixth powerplay goal of the game.
Cloutier will undoubtedly be happy with a point against the league leaders, particularly having been outshot for one of, if not the only time this season.
Also encouragingly, his side continue to score goals through key forwards Tendler, Uusivirta and Silverthorn, and they continue to compete with the leagues better sides, even if they were understrength.
Having moved into seventh place, they now move on to a home and away double header against the Cardiff Devils, travelling down to Wales in the Challenge Cup on Saturday before returning to Hull 24 hours later in league play.
Rays scorers: Silverthorn (2), Tendler, Uusivirta
Belfast scorers: Prudden, Peacock, Gleed, B.Hemingway, Welch
SOG: 40-29
PIM: 10-14
The Excel Hull Stingrays bounced back from defeat to the Belfast Giants on Saturday by taking them to overtime before eventually falling 5-4 in Northern Ireland tonight, claiming a vital and unexpected point in the process.
The visitors bucked an all too regular trend on the night, taking the lead through stand out forward Jason Silverthorn, who registered two goals and one assists in the game, before the Giants levelled through Joshua Prudden.
As was the case on Saturday, Sylvain Cloutier's struggled in the second period, conceding three times through Craig Peacock, Jon Glled and Brett Hemingway. However, Jereme Tendler netted his fifth in three games and the Rays only goal of the second to go into the final period down 4-2.
With four players already out and Mark Garside leaving the game injured, the Rays knew they would have to take advantage of the understrength Giants in the final period when they would be most tiresome.
They did that, as Matti Uusivirta netted his second in two games before Silverthorn levelled the scores at four with his second of the game, minutes after missing a penalty shot, to guarantee his side at least a point.
Unfortunately, the Giants regrouped in overtime and snatched the extra point thanks to Dan Welch, who scored the games sixth powerplay goal of the game.
Cloutier will undoubtedly be happy with a point against the league leaders, particularly having been outshot for one of, if not the only time this season.
Also encouragingly, his side continue to score goals through key forwards Tendler, Uusivirta and Silverthorn, and they continue to compete with the leagues better sides, even if they were understrength.
Having moved into seventh place, they now move on to a home and away double header against the Cardiff Devils, travelling down to Wales in the Challenge Cup on Saturday before returning to Hull 24 hours later in league play.
Rays scorers: Silverthorn (2), Tendler, Uusivirta
Belfast scorers: Prudden, Peacock, Gleed, B.Hemingway, Welch
SOG: 40-29
PIM: 10-14
Monday, 25 October 2010
26th October Midweek Preview
V
Tuesday 26th October: Belfast Giants v Excel Hull Stingrays @ Odyssey Arena F/O 7.30pm
The Excel Hull Stingrays face a quick return to action on Tuesday night with an away fixture against last Saturday's opponents the Belfast Giants at the Odyssey Arena in Northern Ireland.
Although the Rays were beaten by the league leaders last time out, they out shot Doug Christiansen's side and ended the game clearly on top of an injury ravaged Belfast side.
The Giants will still be without a number of key players tomorrow night, although Mark Garside has returned to action, but they will be eager to maintain their lead at the top having lost 2-0 to Coventry on Sunday.
Sylvain Cloutier has his own injury worries as the crippling injury curse threatens to make a return with key Brits Ryan Lake, Craig Mitchell and Lee Mitchell all out.
Having proven in those final minutes on Saturday that they can compete with the Giants, injury hit or not, the Rays will want to build on those closing minutes and their win against Newcastle on Sunday with another victory.
In form forwards Jason Silverthorn and Jereme Tender, who has four goals in two games, will be key as will building off Sunday's improved defensive performance.
Elite League
Stingrays: 9th 6GP 2W 4L 0OTL 18GF 24GA 4PTS
Belfast: 1st 15GP 12W 2L 1OTL 59GF 40GA 23PTS
Form
Stingrays: L L L L W
Belfast: W W W W L
Last 3 Meetings
v Belfast
04/02/10 4-2 L A
04/03/10 9-0 L A
23/10/10 3-5 L H
Rays 09/10 Series
v Belfast: 8GP 2W 6L 14GF 37GA 4PTS
Top Scorers
Stingrays
G: Tendler (6)
A: Dulle, Kalmikov, Read (5)
PIM: Sladok (40)
Belfast
G: B.Hemingway (13)
A: Shields (13)
PIM: Welch (28)
Between The Pipes
Stingrays: Boucher (6GP 88.7sv% 4.44GAA)
Belfast: Murphy (14GP 91.6sv% 2.62GAA)
Absentees
Stingrays: Craig Mitchell (broken arm), Lee Mitchell (knee), Ryan Lake (broken thumb), Jozef Sladok
Belfast: Jeff Mason (wrist), Richard Seeley (knee), Colin Hemingway (unspecified injury), Brandon Benedict (leg)
Predictions
Belfast 5-2 Stingrays
23/10/10 3-5 L H
Rays 09/10 Series
v Belfast: 8GP 2W 6L 14GF 37GA 4PTS
Top Scorers
Stingrays
G: Tendler (6)
A: Dulle, Kalmikov, Read (5)
PIM: Sladok (40)
Belfast
G: B.Hemingway (13)
A: Shields (13)
PIM: Welch (28)
Between The Pipes
Stingrays: Boucher (6GP 88.7sv% 4.44GAA)
Belfast: Murphy (14GP 91.6sv% 2.62GAA)
Absentees
Stingrays: Craig Mitchell (broken arm), Lee Mitchell (knee), Ryan Lake (broken thumb), Jozef Sladok
Belfast: Jeff Mason (wrist), Richard Seeley (knee), Colin Hemingway (unspecified injury), Brandon Benedict (leg)
Predictions
Belfast 5-2 Stingrays
Sunday, 24 October 2010
Rays sting Vipers for first home win of year
Excel Hull Stingrays 4-2 Newcastle Vipers
Doubles from Jereme Tendler and Matti Uusivirta tonight helped the Excel Hull Stingrays end their three game home winless streak as they gained revenge for defeat in Whitley Bay last Saturday with a 4-2 victory over the Newcastle Vipers.
Injuries to Brits Ryan Lake, Craig Mitchell and Lee Mitchell forced coach Sylvain Cloutier to mix things around, pairing young Brit Ben Lowe primarily with Uusivirta and Konstantin Kalmikov while in form pair Matty Davies and Jason Silverthorn continued together.
Those changes caused the Vipers problems early on with keeper Effinger forced to make a trio of tidy kick saves from Rays forwards, although it was the visitors who had mustered the first chance of the game through Dean Holland.
They would also score the first goal of the game as a poor pass from captain Kurtis Dulle along his offensive blueline during a Vipers powerplay would let the Vipers counter and eventually net through Dale Mahovsky.
The Rays then went down to four defenceman for the remained of the game as Jozef Sladok rightly or wrongly received a five plus game penalty for a check to the head on Nathan Salem. Nevertheless, thanks to yet another sterling effort on the penalty kill, particularly from man of the match Silverthorn, who held off four Vipers to kill a large portion of the penalty, the five minute advantage went unpunished and the period ended with the Vipers leading a largely even first 20 minutes.
Save for a few more goals the second period could not have been much better from a Stingrays point of view. They shot out of the blocks first levelling on the powerplay through Uusivirta, who rifled high past Effinger from the point 51 seconds in, before the Finn grabbed a second on a rebound from a Kalmikov shot to hand the home side a lead they would not relinquish.
Jereme Tendler then one timed home the Stingrays third of the game on the powerplay to end the scoring in a 20 minute period of complete and utter dominance from the home team, who outshot an indisciplined Vipers side an astonishing 22-2.
After being completely outplayed in the second Danny Stewart's side came out in the third looking to prove a point and take both points on offer.
They did the former, refusing to give up on the cause with Patrick Forsbacka scored on the man advantage to reduce the lead to 3-2 as they appeared to turn a corner.
However, indiscipline again returned to the Vipers ranks costing them the chance to capitalise on their improved third period performance as four minor penalties were dished out to them in the final 10 minutes, including four to Forsbacka, who picked up his sixth and eighth of the game, to allow the Rays to re-establish their grip on the game.
Tendler ended the scoring by racking up his second of the game and fourth of the weekend to seal the deal and give Cloutier's side their first win of the season at Hull Arena, ironically in their worst home showing of the year.
A tough matchup against the Belfast Giants in Northern Ireland on Tuesday follows before a home and away double header against the Cardiff Devils next weekend.
Rays rating: 6.5
Stingray goalscorers: Tendler (2), Uusivirta (2)
Newcastle goalscorers: Mahovsky, Forsbacka
SOG: 43-24
PIM: 49-24
FBB Three Stars: 1-Silverthorn (0+0) 2-Uusivirta (2+0) 3-Davies (0+1)
Doubles from Jereme Tendler and Matti Uusivirta tonight helped the Excel Hull Stingrays end their three game home winless streak as they gained revenge for defeat in Whitley Bay last Saturday with a 4-2 victory over the Newcastle Vipers.
Injuries to Brits Ryan Lake, Craig Mitchell and Lee Mitchell forced coach Sylvain Cloutier to mix things around, pairing young Brit Ben Lowe primarily with Uusivirta and Konstantin Kalmikov while in form pair Matty Davies and Jason Silverthorn continued together.
Those changes caused the Vipers problems early on with keeper Effinger forced to make a trio of tidy kick saves from Rays forwards, although it was the visitors who had mustered the first chance of the game through Dean Holland.
They would also score the first goal of the game as a poor pass from captain Kurtis Dulle along his offensive blueline during a Vipers powerplay would let the Vipers counter and eventually net through Dale Mahovsky.
The Rays then went down to four defenceman for the remained of the game as Jozef Sladok rightly or wrongly received a five plus game penalty for a check to the head on Nathan Salem. Nevertheless, thanks to yet another sterling effort on the penalty kill, particularly from man of the match Silverthorn, who held off four Vipers to kill a large portion of the penalty, the five minute advantage went unpunished and the period ended with the Vipers leading a largely even first 20 minutes.
Save for a few more goals the second period could not have been much better from a Stingrays point of view. They shot out of the blocks first levelling on the powerplay through Uusivirta, who rifled high past Effinger from the point 51 seconds in, before the Finn grabbed a second on a rebound from a Kalmikov shot to hand the home side a lead they would not relinquish.
Jereme Tendler then one timed home the Stingrays third of the game on the powerplay to end the scoring in a 20 minute period of complete and utter dominance from the home team, who outshot an indisciplined Vipers side an astonishing 22-2.
After being completely outplayed in the second Danny Stewart's side came out in the third looking to prove a point and take both points on offer.
They did the former, refusing to give up on the cause with Patrick Forsbacka scored on the man advantage to reduce the lead to 3-2 as they appeared to turn a corner.
However, indiscipline again returned to the Vipers ranks costing them the chance to capitalise on their improved third period performance as four minor penalties were dished out to them in the final 10 minutes, including four to Forsbacka, who picked up his sixth and eighth of the game, to allow the Rays to re-establish their grip on the game.
Tendler ended the scoring by racking up his second of the game and fourth of the weekend to seal the deal and give Cloutier's side their first win of the season at Hull Arena, ironically in their worst home showing of the year.
A tough matchup against the Belfast Giants in Northern Ireland on Tuesday follows before a home and away double header against the Cardiff Devils next weekend.
Rays rating: 6.5
Stingray goalscorers: Tendler (2), Uusivirta (2)
Newcastle goalscorers: Mahovsky, Forsbacka
SOG: 43-24
PIM: 49-24
FBB Three Stars: 1-Silverthorn (0+0) 2-Uusivirta (2+0) 3-Davies (0+1)
Saturday, 23 October 2010
Giants power to victory as Rays lose fourth in a row
Excel Hull Stingrays 3-5 Belfast Giants
The Excel Hull Stingrays fell to their fourth defeat on the bounce tonight at the Hull Arena, putting in a third positive home performance of the year, only to go down 5-3 to the league leading Belfast Giants.
Once again the Rays, who were without brothers Lee and Craig Mitchell, handed their opponents a one goal lead early on as the Giants Brett Hemingway capitalised at the backdoor of Christian Boucher's net to punish a poor line change.
In man of the match performance Jason Silverthorn then manufactured a number of chances before his blocked shot fell to Jereme Tendler on seven minutes, who fired high past Belfast keeper Stephen Murphy to level the scores at one.
As well as conceding early on, Sylvain Cloutier's side have also picked up an unhealthy habit of allowing goals against shortly after scoring themselves. Although they have attempted the eradicate that in recent weeks, the Giants were allowed to take the lead seconds later as Boucher poked at the puck having misjudged a dump into the Rays zone to let Jon Gleed to hit the net.
In a fairly even first period the home side then forced an impressive double save from netminder Murphy before Mike Hoffman objected to Cloutier crashing the net to force a Belfast defenceman on top of the Giants keeper, livening the game up physically.
As the period came to a close Hoffman and Cloutier continued their cat and mouse duel with both looking for the advantage heading into a first intermission in which Belfast would lead by one.
Belfast came out in the second looking to impose their undoubted quality on the game and that is exactly what Doug Christiansen's team did.
Former NHLer Brad Smyth was handed a great chance on a 5-on-3 powerplay before Hemingway netted his second of the game and the Giants second powerplay goal to extend their lead to two.
While the Rays put pressure late on, this had been Belfast's period and a suspected broken hand to Ryan Lake in the third period would make it hard for the Rays, who reverted Kriss Grundmanis to forward and switched down to two lines for the final third.
Belfast didn't let up at the start of the final stanza either, as Hemingway netted a perfect replica of his second to complete his hat-trick on the powerplay six minutes after the break.
Former NHLer Brad Smyth netted the goal he had threatened all night on 49 minutes before the home side mounted an unlikely come back as Murphy produced a juicy rebound from yet another Silverthorn shot to allow Konstantin Kalmikov to fire into a near empty net in an uncharacteristically sloppy performance from the Ukrainian.
Three minutes later Tendler scored his second of the game on the powerplay firing a speculative shot home as that come back gained yet more momentum at 5-3.
Silverthorn was at the heart of everything good that the Rays produced and, after hitting the post, he wondrously danced his way through the Giants defence only to be denied again by Murphy.
The Giants netminder again proved his worth as the game came to a close, denying Uusivirta from close in before making a double save from Silverthorn as Christiansen's side eventually managed to shut the game down at 5-3.
For the third successive game the Rays produced a performance worthy of a point and, although the Giants certainly deserved the win, the home side made them work for the two points particularly at the end and once again proved they can skate with the Elite League's big spenders.
Having put in three decent performances at the Hull Arena, claiming just one point, Sunday night sees the Newcastle Vipers travel to the Hull Arena in which the victory is more important than the performance for the home side, who will be looking for revenge for the defeat suffered at Whitley Bay last weekend.
Rays rating: 7
Stingray goalscorers: Tendler (2), Kalmikov
Belfast goalscorers: B.Hemingway (3), Smyth, Gleed
SOG: 43-39
PIM: 8-10
FBB Three Stars 1: Silverthorn (0+2) 2: Tendler (2+0) 3: Davies (0+1)
The Excel Hull Stingrays fell to their fourth defeat on the bounce tonight at the Hull Arena, putting in a third positive home performance of the year, only to go down 5-3 to the league leading Belfast Giants.
Once again the Rays, who were without brothers Lee and Craig Mitchell, handed their opponents a one goal lead early on as the Giants Brett Hemingway capitalised at the backdoor of Christian Boucher's net to punish a poor line change.
In man of the match performance Jason Silverthorn then manufactured a number of chances before his blocked shot fell to Jereme Tendler on seven minutes, who fired high past Belfast keeper Stephen Murphy to level the scores at one.
As well as conceding early on, Sylvain Cloutier's side have also picked up an unhealthy habit of allowing goals against shortly after scoring themselves. Although they have attempted the eradicate that in recent weeks, the Giants were allowed to take the lead seconds later as Boucher poked at the puck having misjudged a dump into the Rays zone to let Jon Gleed to hit the net.
In a fairly even first period the home side then forced an impressive double save from netminder Murphy before Mike Hoffman objected to Cloutier crashing the net to force a Belfast defenceman on top of the Giants keeper, livening the game up physically.
As the period came to a close Hoffman and Cloutier continued their cat and mouse duel with both looking for the advantage heading into a first intermission in which Belfast would lead by one.
Belfast came out in the second looking to impose their undoubted quality on the game and that is exactly what Doug Christiansen's team did.
Former NHLer Brad Smyth was handed a great chance on a 5-on-3 powerplay before Hemingway netted his second of the game and the Giants second powerplay goal to extend their lead to two.
While the Rays put pressure late on, this had been Belfast's period and a suspected broken hand to Ryan Lake in the third period would make it hard for the Rays, who reverted Kriss Grundmanis to forward and switched down to two lines for the final third.
Belfast didn't let up at the start of the final stanza either, as Hemingway netted a perfect replica of his second to complete his hat-trick on the powerplay six minutes after the break.
Former NHLer Brad Smyth netted the goal he had threatened all night on 49 minutes before the home side mounted an unlikely come back as Murphy produced a juicy rebound from yet another Silverthorn shot to allow Konstantin Kalmikov to fire into a near empty net in an uncharacteristically sloppy performance from the Ukrainian.
Three minutes later Tendler scored his second of the game on the powerplay firing a speculative shot home as that come back gained yet more momentum at 5-3.
Silverthorn was at the heart of everything good that the Rays produced and, after hitting the post, he wondrously danced his way through the Giants defence only to be denied again by Murphy.
The Giants netminder again proved his worth as the game came to a close, denying Uusivirta from close in before making a double save from Silverthorn as Christiansen's side eventually managed to shut the game down at 5-3.
For the third successive game the Rays produced a performance worthy of a point and, although the Giants certainly deserved the win, the home side made them work for the two points particularly at the end and once again proved they can skate with the Elite League's big spenders.
Having put in three decent performances at the Hull Arena, claiming just one point, Sunday night sees the Newcastle Vipers travel to the Hull Arena in which the victory is more important than the performance for the home side, who will be looking for revenge for the defeat suffered at Whitley Bay last weekend.
Rays rating: 7
Stingray goalscorers: Tendler (2), Kalmikov
Belfast goalscorers: B.Hemingway (3), Smyth, Gleed
SOG: 43-39
PIM: 8-10
FBB Three Stars 1: Silverthorn (0+2) 2: Tendler (2+0) 3: Davies (0+1)
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