MurphytrebleputsGiantstopoftheirgroup
DARCY Murphy rattled home a superb hat-trick to give the Belfast Giants a 3-1 victory over the Fife Flyers and send them to the top of their Challenge Cup group.
The 26-year-old struck once in each period while at the other end goaltender Tyler Beskorowany also played a big part as he produced another top class performance to add to his man-ofthe-match display in the 4-2 win over the Dundee Stars on Saturday night.
Even when Scott Aarssen pulled one back for the Flyers in the third period it wasn’t enough to rally any sort of comeback.
The Giants had the better of the opening stages and tested Fife goaltender Shane Owens a number of times before they began to get a foothold.
Just as Fife were beginning to look a serious threat the Giants grabbed the lead at 11:49. They broke quickly with David Rutherford and Pat Dwyer linking through the zones and setting up Murphy for his first of the night.
After Jonathan Boxill showed his objection to a late hit on Rutherford by fighting Fife’s Danick Gauthier late in the first period the Giants went on to dominate the second and stretched the lead at 32:20.
Guillaume Gelinas freed the puck in a goalmouth scramble and Murphy was able to find enough space to squeeze it into the Flyers’ net.
That goal really knocked the stuffing out of the Flyers and to make matters worse it was from their own mistake on a powerplay that the Giants made it 3-0 at 43:58.
Rutherford was in the penalty box for an interference offence when the Giants overturned the numerical advantage as Murphy pounced on the error and skated through the zones to beat Owens unassisted and all but take the game beyond the Flyers.
Beskorowany too was in top form and he was less than six minutes away from recording a shut-out in just his second game for the Giants when Aarssen spoilt his night at 54:19.
Carlo Finucci and Evan Stoflet set up the defenceman and he rifled home a shot from the blue line.
That was little more than a consolation goal and the Giants were comfortable in the final few minutes to ensure that they started the season with a four-point weekend and a 100% record from their opening two games.