Fram the Man seals weekend sweep over the Flames
Motorpoint Elite League.
Venue: SSE Arena, 8 11 26,
Final Score: Belfast Giants 4-2 Guildford Flames.
Jason Fram’s first Belfast Giants goal helped seal a 4-2 victory over the Guildford Flames on Sunday to secure a four-point weekend.
First Period.
After a cagey opening, the Giants went on the powerplay after just over two minutes when Mathieu Gosselin was sat down for hooking. The Flames killed that penalty with a deflected Mike Lee effort the best the hosts could muster. Shortly after, Morten Jensen’s shot was blocked before the visitors got a foothold in proceedings.
First, Jack Jacome slid a shot wide before former Giant Travis Brown saw his shot held by Jake Kupsky. Having scored two last night, Lee was trying his luck again but couldn’t beat Brad Arvanitis in the Guildford goal. The Giants then killed a penalty of their own served by Jaeden Martin for elbowing with Cole Sanford coming closest.
It looked as though the Giants would get a repeat of the previous evening with a scoreless first as Patrick Guay was denied, but up popped Scott Conway on 18:46 to mop up in front of the net to send the Giants into the first intermission with a goal up (1-0).
Second Period
The Giants finished the first and started the second on the powerplay but the closest they came was Lee poking just wide from close range. Kaleb Pearson fired a shot goal bound but Arvanitis hung on for a good save. The Flames’ Massachusetts-born netminder produced an even better save moments later when he somehow kept out Nicolas Guay.
Another former Giant in Karl Boudrias almost touched home an equaliser at the back post but, after David Goodwin spurned a good chance, his opposite captain Matt Alvaro tied the game on 31:33 (1-1). This gave the visitors a real boost, and they pushed hard for a lead before the end of the period. First, Brett Neumann had his shot saved before a Giants penalty served by Jason Fram for interference almost bore fruit twice for Sanford. First, he had an effort saved by Kupsky before rattling the post.
Third Period
Paul Dixon’s men continued that momentum after the restart and were rewarded with the lead less than a minute into the third. Fresh off a double on Saturday night, Mathieu Gosselin got another as he turned the game on its head at 40:42 (1-2).
Despite this setback, the hosts got back on the front foot and, after Logan Cockerill came close, the equaliser came in rather fortuitous fashion when Morten Jensen’s shot rebounded off the backboards and nestled in the net at 41:58 (2-2).
Adam Keefe’s men kept their foot on the gas and, after killing a penalty served by Kaleb Pearson, it was another D-man who gave them the lead midway through the period. Having impressed on his Giants debut the night before, Jason Fram opened his account with a long-range effort that evaded Arvanitis and found the net on 50:19 (3-2).
The Flames responded with efforts from Alvaro and Travis Brown that couldn’t beat Kupsky, and the Giants did their best to kill the game through Cockerill and Pearson but it was in the dying seconds that Conway bookended the game with an empty net goal from centre ice at 59:57 (4-2).
That sealed the victory and a four-point weekend in the first league action of the season at The O2 Belfast.
Up Next
The Giants travel to France next weekend for Continental Cup action before returning home for another Motorpoint Elite League double-header against the Nottingham Panthers on the 21 of November. You won’t want to miss that one and you can get tickets here.
(Courtesy of Belfast Giants©).
