GAME REPORT: BELFAST GIANTS 3 GLASGOW CLAN 1

The Premier Sports sponsored Glasgow Clan were overturned by the Belfast Giants in a bruising defeat in the Challenge Cup.

Glasgow were on the front foot early on as Hugo Roy picked up a loose puck near the slot and rifled a quick shot on net which forced a sharp save from Jackson Whistle.

Mitchell Heard and Deven Sideroff also put early shots on Whistle’s net but they couldn’t beat the Belfast netminder who shut out the Clan for the entire first period.

At the other end, Jake Gaudet was denied by Sami Aittokallio’s blocker on a breakaway chance late in the period as neither side could break the deadlock in the opening 20 minutes.

Clan opened the scoring almost instantly in the second period as Brayden Burke burst up the left side and slid the puck to the backdoor where Tristin Langan was lingering to rifle home a first time shot on the powerplay.

Marcus Eriksson was then allowed in on a breakaway from a stretch pass by Bo Hanson but his shot was expertly tipped onto the outside netting by the stretching pads of Aittokallio.

Scott Conway found a breakthrough shortly after though when he scooped up a loose puck and fizzed it into the Clan net.

Chris McKay came to Glasgow’s rescue on the penalty kill when he swept his stick to clear a backdoor chance for JJ Piccinich before dropping to block a low shot with his body.

Erikkson then gave Belfast the lead on the same powerplay though as Gabe Bast played him into the slot and the Dane tucked the puck high past Aittokallio.

The Finnish netminder was then slow to his feet after a collision to the head late in the period and was replaced in the intermission by Lucas Brine to start the third.

Hanson and Nicolas Guay put Brine into early action as they broke out on a two-on-one and forced a stick save from the young Brit to start the third period.

Langan nearly doubled his scoring tally with a quick break into the slot on a three-on-one going the other way but Whistle gloved down his attempt.

Langan had another close call towards the end of the game as the Clan pushed for an equaliser but an empty net goal from David Goodwin rounded off the night with a 3-1 win for the Giants.