Belfast Giants 3-2 Cardiff Devils (After sudden death shootout)
The Belfast Giants became Elite Ice Hockey League Playoff Champions for the first time with an thrilling 3-2 victory over the Cardiff Devils at a packed out National Ice Centre in Nottingham
After a tight, goalless first period the Northern Irish outfit took the initiative just a minute and 31 seconds into the second period with Brandon Benedict bagging his first goal of the playoffs shortly after a Matt Miller interference penalty had expired. The Giants then doubled their lead ten minutes later as George Awada was credited with the vital tip in on a rasping Tim Cook slapshot from the point on the powerplay.
The Devils needed a quickfire response and that is exactly what they got when Max Birbraer banked the puck in off the back of Giants netminder Stephen Murphy to halve the deficit. Having had the clear edge over Belfast in the second period, the Devils levelled the scores in the 38th minute as Birbraer scored his second of the game, showing perseverance on the powerplay to eventually slapshot the puck home off the post.
The game then intensified in the third period as referee Moray Hanson made the moral decision to let play flow and let the players decide the outcome of the game rather than a controversial penalty. This allowed for an exciting end-to-end final period of the season with the hockey being played typical of that playoff hockey mentality. Despite the intensity, neither side could find that crucial championship winning goal as the British netminders at either end, Stevie Lyle for the Devils and Stephen Murphy for the Giants , stood tall sending the game into overtime.
The sides would further cancel each other out in overtime and, once again, the Giants would rely on their superior shootout skills to finish the job, Evan Cheverie the lucky Giant firing the championship winning shot past Lyle sending the Northern Irish fans into a frenzy.
