| Edinburgh Capitals | Belfast Giants |
| Game status: Full time Played: 7th March 2010 18:00 |
|
| 4 | 3 |
GoalsNonePenaltiesNone |
GoalsNonePenaltiesNone |
| Game report A bad tempered affair in Scotland saw Giants league title hopes almost ended as Capitals scored two crucial late goals - both from skipper Martin Cingel - to take both points.
It certainly was a game where special teams played a huge part with six of the seven goals scored on the powerplay and Giants frequent visits to the penalty box cost them dear.
With Giants having won against the same opposition in the same venue last night they must have felt confident of repeating the feat and after the opening period that looked likely as a goal from Craig Peacock (24th) on the powerplay at 15.49 saw them ahead. However, in the second period it all started to go wrong for the visitors. Penalties started to flow and Capitals levelled on the powerplay at 30.05 with Jeff Hutchins (25th) netting. At 31.15 it was 2-1 Capitals as Simon Lambert (29th) scored once again on the powerplay and shortly afterwards Giants lost the influential Jeff Szwez to match penalty for butt ending.
Although Giants survived until the period end without further loss it was clear that Capitals now had the momentum. However, the scoreline remained unchanged until Giants own powerplay until clicked into gear and on a 5 on 3 play it was 2-2 as Michael Jacobsen (15th) tied it all up. However with Giants again falling foul of the on-ice officials Capitals were ahead again on the powerplay with Cingel (7th & 8th) striking at 56.55 on the powerplay and repeating the dose again on the powerplay at 59.13.
Although Giants pulled one back with 27 seconds remaining with Brandon Benedict (19th) firing home it was too little too late and the league aspirations for the Giants look to be over failing a major collapse from Coventry.
Period Scores: 0-1, 2-0, 2-2 Penalty Mins: Edi 16 - Bel 73 Powerplay: Edi 4/13 - Bel 2/6 Shots On: Cody Rudkowsky 26 - Stephen Murphy 35 Referee: Dean Smith | |
| Club | GP | W | L | OL | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Coventry Blaze | 56 | 38 | 18 | 0 | 228 | 174 | 76 |
| 2. | Belfast Giants | 56 | 35 | 21 | 5 | 212 | 137 | 75 |
| 3. | Nottingham Panthers | 56 | 34 | 22 | 2 | 215 | 177 | 70 |
| 4. | Cardiff Devils | 56 | 31 | 25 | 3 | 193 | 159 | 65 |
| 5. | Sheffield Steelers | 56 | 24 | 32 | 5 | 195 | 196 | 53 |
| 6. | Edinburgh Capitals | 56 | 22 | 34 | 8 | 177 | 224 | 52 |
| 7. | Newcastle Vipers | 56 | 21 | 35 | 4 | 165 | 236 | 46 |
| 8. | Hull Stingrays | 56 | 19 | 37 | 5 | 152 | 234 | 43 |