Coventry Blaze v Belfast Giants – The Review
Day 1: Saturday 3 November 2012
A double-header is a funny old beast. You would never find such a thing in football, or rugby, It just wouldn’t make sense. The double-header is a peculiarly ice hockey-specific phenomenon and is quite unique in its way, unfolding like a work of dramatic fiction over the course of a weekend; Act One where the sides test each other out, find weaknesses, effectively teasing away with a feather duster to see what tickles. Then Act Two, the continuation: one side hurting, seeking revenge, the other keen to press home their advantage and emerge the victors.
As I reflected upon in my preview, Belfast and Coventry were the only two Erhardt conference sides yet to meet this season and so it was anybody’s guess as to how the two would stack up against one another. The first period of game 1 was a cagey affair all round, possibly not a surprise as the teams met for the first time and like shy singletons on a first date got to know each other slowly and carefully, neither one wanting to make a fatal error so early in the relationship. There were no goals and little incident to speak of – which team would come out with the desire to break the deadlock? Who was playing hard to get, and who was going to pick up the phone and call first?
The second period – the second date. The sides began to warm up to one another and the game picked up in its pace. Maybe this pair would make a good couple. The Giants made the first move through Noah Clarke although it took half the game for the scoring to open, but Belfast’s lead didn’t last long, Dustin Cameron levelling for the Blaze exactly four minutes later. The Giants were in no mood to allow Blaze back into the game however and within a minute Andrew Fournier retook the lead for his side and made it a 2-goal game with the second of his brace.
Dating metaphors aside, there was plenty going on off-ice too, the GIants fans in fine voice and lending their vocal talents to hockey songs set to the music of One Direction, as well as a truly inspired Kula Shaker-based song for Peter Hirsch. The Skydome is a great rink, the intimate atmosphere a refreshing change in comparison with the soulless arenas that host the likes of Sheffield and Nottingham.
Third date time and these two aren’t sure they’re that keen on each other. They’re starting to wonder if maybe they’re not right for each other after all. The period contained the lion’s share of the action in the game. And boy was there some action. The Giants, with daylight between themselves and the Blaze, should by rights have stuck the knife in, tightened up and frustrated the game to its inevitable conclusion. This is not, however, what actually did happen.
The change in momentum was an ethereal being that snuck in like the mysterious other woman in the period break leaving the Blaze reinvigorated. Following a penalty to Belfast in the last minute of the second period, the Blaze began the third on the powerplay and Brad Leeb was not about to let the opportunity go to waste. Suddenly it was game on – the Blaze’s storied spirit and guts kicking in like a turbo-powered engine and their belief somehow overwhelming the Giants, whose heads went down too quickly.
The Blaze struck twice more in the first half of the third period to take the lead – this game was wide open and the Skydome came alive. The Giants finally found an answer to the Blaze’s questions, tying the game up once again through Jeff Mason, and they had their chance to put themselves clear with a minute or so of 5-on-3 hockey but something about that ratio just doesn’t seem to gel for the Giants and they were left rueing missed opportunities as the seconds ticked away and the game went to overtime.
The line featuring brothers Brad and Greg Leeb (hilariously nicknamed Bleeb and Gleeb by us for the first time ever I’m sure) were easily the highlight of the Blaze forward lines; unsurprisingly they have a great understanding and their speed and creativity was at the heart of the Blaze’s attack in the third period – they were the difference and this was reflected on the scoresheet, Brad with a hat-trick including the game winning goal which came in the aforementioned overtime to bring delirium to the Skydome faithful and crushing disappointment to the visiting Giants fans, who had watched their side snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the space of one period.
So where did all this this leave us at the halfway point? Blaze fans buoyant, Giants fans bemused, Doug Christiansen an angry man and a Taylor’s Butchers pork parcel in Crosby’s Bar fridge.
Join me later for coverage from day two – what happened when the fledgling relationship went sour? The showdown to end all showdowns – and by god am I going to gush over it. You don’t want to miss this. You probably couldn’t miss it even if you tried as I assure you, it’s going to be a big one. Join me dear friends. I may have lost my voice, but I sure as hell have my typing fingers at the ready. TTFN!
