Belfast Giants claim the Erhardt Conference crown
The Stena Line Belfast Giants lifted the Erhardt Conference title following two fantastic short bench victories in the finale of the regular season play last weekend.
Missing six starters from their roster Belfast pulled off a dramatic come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Sheffield, thus becoming the first ever Erhardt Conference Champions.
The Belfast squad overcame Nottingham, Sheffield, Coventry and Cardiff to win the title, which gives the organization the position of second seed for the Playoffs. In this position the Giants will take on the Edinburgh Capitals next Saturday (home) and Sunday (away) for a place in the prestigious Rapid Solicitors Elite League Playoff Finals Weekend.
Those playoff Quarter Final Match-ups are Nottingham Panthers v Fife Flyers, Belfast Giants v Edinburgh Capitals, Braehead Clan v Cardiff Devils, and finally Sheffield Steelers v Coventry Blaze.
Belfast’s Erhardt Conference title victory came as result of just pipping league winners Nottingham in the win against Sheffield, with two third period goals being enough to get the job done.
Michael Hicks the Giants favourite official blew his whistle for 110 penalty minutes with a couple of ejections at the final buzzer. It was not a passive night in Sheffield for the Giants!
The Steelers struck first through Simon Ferguson, which was the only goal of the period. Belfast had to endure no fewer than four back-to-back bench minor penalties.
Then the Giants’ Kevin Saurette levelled for them with Sheffield’s Steven Goertzen putting them back in front later in the second period. Unsung Giants’ hero Matt Towe got the bit between his teeth tying the game up then on a penalty shot fellow player Noah Clarke scored the winner.
At the final hooter Tylor Michel of the Steelers and Giant Chad Langlais were both ejected after a coming together after a long and frustrating game against the Sheffield team.
Knowing that only two victories and a loss of points from Nottingham would allow Belfast to secure the conference title in the Coventry encounter it was the Giants’ Matt Towe who struck the first goal in the opening period. The Blaze’s Shea Guthrie equalized just over eighty seconds into the second period.
Belfast responded swiftly with two special team goals. The first a shorthanded score from Kevin Saurette, then Chad Langlais fired a powerplay goal, which then was added to by Noah Clarke thus giving the Giants a three-goal cushion.
Coventry’s Adam Henrich tried to start a Blaze comeback with his 13th goal in 13 games for the club however there was to be no further scoring. That victory started the ball rolling for the Giants’ dramatic snatching of the Conference title from Nottingham following their win in Sheffield.
Belfast’s coach Doug Christiansen had this to say: “We did a very good job in our conference to be in with a chance to lift the Erhardt trophy. However in the Elite League, the Scottish squads tripped us up a few times which was the difference between Nottingham’s point total and ours in league play.
“We are totally focused on the playoffs so this weekend’s results means a lot to us. Playing Edinburgh in the quarter-finals back to back, home and away gives us our only route to the Final Four weekend in Nottingham.
“If we are successful by going to Nottingham then anything can happen. Instead of a four game end of season contest it becomes a two game shootout to find this season’s Elite League Playoff Title winner. The Panthers celebrated the winning of the Elite League trophy in our barn and we would like to return the favour in theirs which is what is motivating us at the moment,” concluded Christiansen.
