Giants beat league winners to finish in second place

Colin Shields scored the Giants opening goal against the Devils on Sunday night. Credit: Helen Brabon

  • Cardiff Devils 3 - 5 Belfast Giants

The Belfast Giants have beaten the Elite league winners, the Cardiff Devils, in their final game of the regular season to keep hold of second place.

The Giants took to the ice in Cardiff after losing out 4-3 on Friday, knowing they needed a win to avoid losing their hold on second and a better position heading into the playoffs.

The sides battled their way through a scoreless opening period.

Stephen Murphy in nets for the Giants in Cardiff. Credit: Helen Brabon

But then the Belfast side’s all-time leading goal scorer Colin Shields put the visitors in front.

His unassisted effort came less than two minutes into the second period.

And barely four minutes later, Blair Riley doubled the Giants’ lead with a goal from assists by James Desmarais and Chris Higgins.

Blair Riley in action for the Giants against the Devils. Credit: Helen Brabon

Cardiff’s Layne Ulmer opened their account just about midway through the period to make reduce the gap to 2-1.

But Higgins was on hand to restore the Giants’ two-goal cushion less than four minutes before the final break.

In the third period, Riley grabbed his second goal of the night to extend the visitors’ lead to 4-1.

Mark Garside in action for the Giants against the Devils. Credit: Helen Brabon

Once again, the Devils fought back to keep themselves within sight of their opponents – with Matthew Myers scoring with just over nine minutes to go.

Cardiff then pulled their netminder Thomas Murdy for the extra skater and it paid off when Ulmer netted his second goal of the game with just 50 seconds left to play.

With just one goal in it and Murdy still off the ice, it was the Giants who got the final goal – an empty-netter from James Desmarais to seal the 5-3 win and the crucial two points.

The Giants ended the regular season on a high. Credit: Helen Brabon

The Belfast Giants now face the Fife Flyers in the playoff quarter-finals, with the home leg to go ahead at the SSE Arena Belfast on Saturday at 7pm.