Giants take win in Coventry with overtime goal

The Giants took to the ice at the SkyDome to face the Blaze. Credit: UTV

  • Coventry Blaze 2 - 3 Belfast Giants

The Belfast Giants may have left it late in their first league game of the new season, but a David Rutherford goal in three-on-three overtime sealed a road win over Coventry Blaze.

The sides battled out a scoreless opening period, before the Giants went ahead in the second when David Rutherford netted their first goal from a James Desmarais assist.

Coventry fought back though, with Josh Godfrey finding an equaliser.

But, with just over a minute left before the final break, Michael Forney scored to give the Giants a 2-1 lead over their hosts.

In the third period, it was the Blaze who found another goal after about six minutes gone, with the effort from Jordan Pietrus bringing the sides back level again.

With neither team able to find a winning goal in regulation time though, the game went to three-on-three overtime to break the deadlock.

Rutherford, Desmarais and Martinelli took to the ice, and it ultimately fell to the Giants to net the winner – Rutherford’s second goal of the game.

It completes a winning weekend for the Giants, who took a 4-2 victory in their first competitive home game – a Challenge Cup encounter with the Fife Flyers – on Saturday.

The Belfast Giants are next in action in a Challenge Cup game against the Edinburgh Capitals at home on Saturday 17 September, with face-off at the SSE Arena at 7pm.