The Belfast Giants embarrassed the Cardiff Devils and sent a statement to the rest of the Elite League with a 9-3 victory at the SSE Arena.
At one stage it was 1-1 but the Giants scored eight unanswered goals including seven in an incredible second period.
“You just sit back and let the guys go,” said Giants coach Adam Keefe.
“We played well but it was still a tight first period and we gave them chances on the powerplay, but I liked our response in the second period.”
Keefe added: “Sometimes it’s just your night and we worked out to create the chances and we took some.”
‘We have to dump that game in the trash’
The Giants coach’s opposite number, Brodie Dupont, was almost lost for words.
“It’s not acceptable, we have to dump that game in the trash and move on, but I don’t know what to say. It’s not the Cardiff way. We just stopped playing.”
Steve Owre scored four of the Giants goals. He’d had a tough start offensively to his season, but this was a first in his career.
“It’s been an adjustment for sure coming to this league and although I don’t think I’ve been playing badly, it hasn’t been reflected on the scoresheet,” said Owre.
“That’s the first time I’ve scored four goals in a game. I lost my grandfather last week so that meant a lot to me tonight.”
A Sunday crowd of 5,398 showed up expecting a tight battle as games between these sides usually are.
They didn’t have to wait long for the opening goal which came after just 1:44 when Owre’s attempted centring pass ended up in the back of the net off the skate of Cardiff netminder Ben Bowns.
The equaliser came on the powerplay when Ryan Penny gobbled up a rebound after Sam Jardine’s blueline shot was saved by Jackson Whistle.
However, parity didn’t last long with Darik Angeli latching on to Gabe Bast’s pass in front of the Devils crease and deflecting the puck high into the net.
Into the second period and the Devils second powerplay didn’t go as well as their first but no one could have guessed what would happen next.
Breaking shorthanded, Owre produced a beautiful toe-drag as the defenceman laid out to block his shot, before going top corner on Bowns.
It was a pivotal moment as the Giants sensed blood and when David Goodwin scored the fourth it sent Bowns to the showers with Taran Zozun taking over between the pipes for Cardiff.
He was beaten on the powerplay by Owre who completed his hat-trick making the score 5-1 with half the game remaining.
Cardiff’s capitulation continues
Cardiff’s capitulation continued when Scott Conway poked home a rebound soon after and while Jake Coughler took out his frustration on Owre, a hit that forced the hat-trick hero to the locker room, seconds after Coughler stepped back on the ice David Gilbert fired home the Giants seventh goal.
Before the end of the period there was still time for Ciaran Long to score from close range and for Owre to deflect home his fourth goal of the game after he returned following treatment.
The third period was anti-climactic to say the least.
Sam Duggan notched another powerplay goal for the Devils and Brodie Reid added a third late on as the Giants, albeit with the game won, didn’t do a very good job of running out the clock.
However, as they head on a six-game road trip over the next three weeks this was a result that said to the rest of the league that it will take a very good team to deny the Giants retaining their Elite League title.
