The Flyers made the trip over the Irish Sea to kick off a busy festive schedule against the Belfast Giants. The visitors had two debutants in their line up with all of the paperwork concluded to allow David Booth and Milan Lucic to ice. Jeremey Masella continued to miss out due to injury with Christian Purboo and Garet Hunt were healthy scratches for this one. The Giants were without Sam Jones and Brandon Whistle with Alexis Gravel the scratch in net as Jackson Whistle got the start between the pipes.

The first shot on either goal came in the 3^rd minute when Logan Neilson tested Whistle following a face off win by Keaton Jameson. A minute later and Owen was in action as Jake Gaudet went to the net but couldn’t get his backhand effort to go. In the 5^th minute Lucic pulled a move inside the blueline and fired a shot just over the bar. The Flyers were looking dangerous in the early stages and after some good zone time Giordano Finoro saw Whistle knock away his backhand in the 6^th minute. The Flyers survived a huge let off in the 7^th minute as JJ Piccinich got the puck in behind Owen but Ben Brown on the line made the save with his skate than completed the clearance with his stick. Piccinich had the next Giants effort as Owen held his shot from the circles in the 9th minute. A minute later and Reid Irwin on the rush saw his short side shot blockered away by Owen and moments later Owen was again in action as he sprawled to somehow keep the puck out on a Giants 2 on 1 breakout. In the 11^th minute an exquisite pass from the corner from Josh Winquist landed on the tape of Lucic but Whistle came up with two stops to deny the debutant. In the 12^th minute Brown tested Whistle from long range before Nicolas Guay went the other way for Owen to shut him down. Booth won the puck in the neutral zone in the 13^th minute and Whistle didn’t know much about his shot as he trapped it under his pads. Owen then went side to side to keep a shot out from Piccinich as the game swung from end to end. In the 15^th minute a shot from Johan Porsberger was deflected wide of goal by the shoulder of Whistle. The Giants went on the first powerplay of the night when Winquist attempted a stick lift but caught a Giants player in the 16th minute. The Giants were patient and when a shot came through from the point from Mike Lee at 17:00 it dropped nicely for Guay to sweep into the net with Owen out of position. Whistle came up big again in the 18^th minute on a delayed Giants penalty call as Winquist found Booth but the Giants keeper made a stellar stop on his one timer as Ben Lake then went to box for cross checking. Flyers controlled the puck from the face off  and Whistle made a smart save on a Porsberger redirect but the visitors passed up a golden chance after they worked the puck around and with the net gaping Finoro put his shot wide.

The Giants struck quickly in the second period as they doubled their advantage at 21:04 after they retained the puck in the Flyers zone and Owen was drawn out of position for Scott Conway to have essentially a tap in from a pass by Guay. In the 24^th minute a long range backhand pass by Simon Despres sprung Booth but his shot from the circles well save by Whistle. The Giants added another at 24:59 when Mike Lee protected the puck in the middle of the slot before letting go a no look backhand that appeared to nick off a leg and find the corner of the net. In the 26^th minute Lucic set up Jameson who looked to find the five hole on Whistle but he shut the wickets. Bo Hanson took the puck to the net in the 27^th minute but couldn’t get his shot away as Own tracked him. The Flyers went back on the powerplay in the 29^th minute as Gabe Bast got the stick into the feet of Jameson for a tripping call. Lucic had the best chance as he was on the edge of the crease but couldn’t sneak the puck past Whistle as the Giants completed the kill. In the 31^st minute Whistle flicked out a left pad to stop an Ian Scheid shot from the blueline. Moments later at 31:29 the Giants added to their tally with yet another simple finish as Jordan Kawaguchi was parked on the lip of the crease and he kicked the puck up to his stick to walk it around Owen. A snapshot by Porsberger in the 38^th minute produced a stick save from Whistle and with 30 seconds to go Despres and Ciaran Long tangled in a wrestling match that earned both delay of game minors. In the final second Booth took the puck down the right wing and went to the net but once again Whistle denied him.

The Flyers went close in the opening seconds of the third period as Booth again went to the net but once more Whistle made a strong stop as the Giants transitioned quickly and from the slot Irwin fired a backhander  past Owen at 40:27 as the Giants went nap.  Whistle made a fairly routine stop on a Ryan Nicholson shot from the circles in the 42^nd minute. The Giants were in full flow and extended their lead at 43:41 as they broke on an odd man rush and Long teed the puck up for Carter Hamill to fire a one timer from the slot past a bewildered looking Owen. Jameson past up a chance in the 45^th minute as Mason Alderson found him all alone in front of Whistle but he fanned on his shot. The Giants went back on the powerplay in the 47^th minute as Anton Karlsson was called for a slash. The Giants made the visitors pay as Marcus Eriksson danced his way into the Flyers zone to drop a pass for Carsen Twarynski who wired the puck passed Owen into the top corner from the high slot at 47:51. There was no let up by the home side and they added another at 49:21 when they cycled the puck in the Flyers zone and the puck was batted down to the stick of Karl Boudrias in the slot who hammered it past the Flyers keeper. The roof had completely fallen in on the Flyers and David Goodwin took advantage of time and space to pick the bottom corner on Owen at 50:37 as double figures loomed. At 51:36 Lake and Despres tangled with a cross check from the Flyers man followed up by punches by the Giants player. Both were assessed double minors for roughing which incensed Giants Head Coach Adam Keefe who was called for a bench minor penalty for abuse of official to put the Flyers on a powerplay. Lee had the best chance during the two minutes with a shorthanded bid stopped by Owen as the Giants returned to full strength. In the 55^th minute another golden chance for the Flyers who were destined to not beat Whistle in this one as he flashed the leather to deny Finoro who was in on him all alone. Justin Ducharme got the gate for goalie interference and Piccinich almost brough up double digits but his shot hit the inside of the post before being scrambled away and the Flyers completed the kill. The Giants had a few more close calls in the closing minutes but Owen prevented any further damage.

Pic Credits – Belfast Giants

Fife Flyers are next at home on Sunday 28th December when they entertain the Belfast Giants – tickets can be bought online here:  Tickets – Fife Flyers or look out on social media channels for box office opening times.