The Flyers made their second visit in a fortnight to the SSE Arena to play their penultimate Challenge Cup game. There was nothing at stake for the visitors but the Giants were looking for two points that would seal them the top seeded position. Missing from the Giants line up were Joe Cassetti, Mike Lee, Jordan Kawaguchi and Ciaran Long. The Flyers travelled without the injured Austin Farley and Michael Cichy with Shane Owen, Fynn Page and James Spence also not icing. Making his debut for the Flyers was Massimo Carozza with Aiden Wilson also added to the lineup. Danish referee Rene |Jensen and linesman Andreas Fuglsang were part of the officiating team.

The Giants opened the scoring in 35 seconds when Mark Cooped stepped inside his man and went back hand top corner to beat Voris. The Flyers had an early power play chance when Bobo Carpenter bumped Voris and was called for goalie interference. The Flyers didn’t get anything set up in the first minute but they went on a two man advantage when JJ Piccinich was given the gate for a trip. It took the Flyers only 5 seconds to punish the home side as Ryan Foss won the face off and a big blast from Nikolai Shulga was saved by Whistle but the puck fell on the stick of Phélix Martineau who found the net. There was still plenty of time left on the Flyers 5 on 4 but they almost gave up a shorthanded goal when Lucas Chiodo was stripped of the puck by Scott Conway at the Flyers blueline and he went in on goal to try and pick the top corner but Voris stood tall to snag the puck with his glove. The Giants returned to full strength and it was the visitors who had the next chance in the 6^th minute when Maxim Musorov took a stretch pass but couldn’t beat Whistle. Conway a minute later responded for the Giants as he got a tip in the slot but Voris made the save. Karl Boudris was next to test the Flyers goalie in the 9^th minute before Aiden Wilson showed good speed through the neutral zone before he got a shot away that Whistle dealt with comfortably. Elijiah Barriga had a big blast from the tops of the circles dealt with by Voris and the visiting netminder was again in action soon after when he made a strong save from a tip close in by Ben Lake. The Giants went on their first power play of the game in the 12^th minute when Patrick Kyte was called for a rough and the Giants won possession from the face off before Cooper again found the back of the net with his initial effort saved by Voris who was helpless with the rebound. Giants were on the man advantage again in the 14^th minute when Ryan Foss took an interference penalty after a mid-ice collision with Kyle Osterberg. The Flyers penalty kill was strong and they returned to full strength with no shots on Voris. There was a half chance for the Flyers in the 17^th minute when Chiodo found Musorov arriving late at the back post but he couldn’t find a way past Whistle. Voris continued his strong showing in the period when he made a triple save in the 18^th minute when he firstly got a poke check on the puck before saving with his toe and then a pad save to keep the visitors in the game.

The first effort on goal in the second period came from Daniel Krenželok who saw his point shot saved by the pad of Whistle. The Flyers then  went on another powerplay in the 23^rd minute when Jeff Baum was called for a trip. Whistle denied Martineau who tried to jam the puck home between the keepers pad and post before the Flyers almost got caught with a short handed bid as the Giants broke out on an odd man rush. The puck was bobbled by the Giants and the Flyers went the other way with a 3 on 1 break with Chiodo going down the right wing before he fired it over to Ryan Foss in the crease who had an easy tap in for the power play marker. In the 25^th minute a giveaway by the Flyers in their own zone presented Mack Stewart with an initial chance but Voris shut him down and moments later the Flyers goalie again denied the Belfast youngster. The Giants regained the lead again in the 27^th minute when Conway got possession from a face off in the Flyers zone and his cross crease pass found Zak Galambos at the back post who gave Voris little chance. The Giants came close again in the 28^th minute when Bo Hanson had an initial shot that was turned away by Voris who then ended up on the ice after a collision around his net and with the puck still alive he made a remarkable save from a Josh Roach shot when he lay prostrate on the ice. Drake Pilon tested Whistle from distance in the 29th minute and a minute later Martineau gained the zone before he cut back inside and found Tyler Heidt with a pass and the blueliner picked the bottom corner on Whistle. Voris came up big again in the 31^st minute following another turnover in the Flyers zone as he once again denied Carpenter. The visitors missed a glorious chance in the 32^nd minute when Musorov was sprung from the centre line and as he went in on Whistle he shot the puck over the crossbar. In the 33^rd minute Kyle Osterberg carried into the Flyers zone and his shot was padded away by Voris who then made a glove save on the rebound. Carpenter was denied once again by Voris in the 34^th as the Flyers keeper held his shot. The Flyers were penalised again in the 36^th minute when Aiden Wilson was called for cross checking and with the Giants in possession on the delayed call Galambos hit Whistle with the puck who was going to the net and the puck fortunately for the Giants bounced off the indie of their post. The Giants with their man advantage had a number of looks but the Flyers held firm and were able to scramble the puck to safety to keep the game tied at the buzzer.

The Giants came out strongly to start the third period and in the opening minute the Flyers escaped a scramble around their net with Voris doing well to get across and get a pad on a shot by Barriga. In the 43^rd minute the Giants had a 2 on 1 break and Voris sprawled to make a save on Roach. The Giants missed a huge chance in the 46^th minute when Roach was set up in the high slot but he drew his shot wide of the net. The Flyers were back on the power play in the 49^th minute when Conway was called for a slash on Patrick Kyte. The Flyers gained control of the puck from the face off and they moved it around well in the Giants zone looking for an opening. Shulga had a one time blast from the right circle that was well saved by Whistle but the momentum was broken when Foss took a slashing penalty as the teams skated 4 on 4. With the Giants returning to full strength it took a great stick in the passing lane by Martineau to break up a power play chance and moments later JJ Piccinich pinged the post as the Flyers completed the kill. In the 53^rd minute Osterberg danced his way into the Flyers zone but couldn’t get his shot away as he ran out of space. Strong play by Conway in the 57^th minute when he gained the Flyers zone ended as Noah Delmas got the gate for a slash and the Giants went on a late power play. Adam Keefe called his timeout to get things set up. Once again the Flyers penalty kill was good and Voris was only troubled by a wrister from up top by Gabe Bast which he held. With 70 seconds remaining the Flyers called their timeout as the game couldn’t be decided in regulation time.

Into overtime and the Flyers won the game with the only shot less than a minute in when Delmas lugged the puck down ice into the Giants zone and he slipped a pass through for Chiodo who froze Whistle and slipped the puck into the empty net.

Pic Credits – Belfast Giants

Fife Flyers are next at home on  Sunday 17th November when they entertain the Sheffield Steelers – tickets can be bought online here:  Tickets – Fife Flyers or look out on social media channels for box office opening times.