Bouchard fires treble as Stars beat leaders

ICE HOCKEY: Five straight wins for Dundee after Belfast lose thriller

DUNDEE STARS 6 BELFAST GIANTS 4

Dundee Stars extended their winning streak to five games last night thanks to a memorable victory over Elite League leaders Belfast Giants.

Francois Bouchard was the hero as his treble helped avenge an 8-0 defeat against the Northern Irish side in the Challenge Cup last week.

The victory in a televised game came on the back of beating league champions Cardiff Devils in Wales, with the Stars’ purple patch a massive turn around for the club which only weeks ago propped up the table.

Bouchard said: “We knew we would have to lift our game after last week (against Belfast). The guys played a great game and we came into tonight with confidence after the win in Cardiff.”

The home side had the better of the early opportunities but it was Belfast who grabbed the lead in seven minutes.

A pass across the front of goal by Blair Riley to Jonathan Ferland allowed the forward to score at the back post.

Dundee equalised when Lukas Lundvald drove towards the net but was tied-up before he could get his shot off.

Shawn Boutin came from behind and looped the puck over the Belfast goaltender Stephen Murphy.

There was a high-tempo start to the middle period with Belfast aggressively attacking in the Dundee end but Stars took the lead on a two-on-one break.

Charles Corcoran passed to Bouchard and he drilled his shot past Stephen Murphy in the 23rd minute to make it 2-1.

Five minutes later Dustin Johner outskated a tired Connor Cox and finished high past Pointus Sjögren.

Johner then netted his second goal of the night to give Giants the lead.

It was 3-3 after 38 minutes when Lukas Lundvald sent a late pass across to Bouchard, who puts his shot off the underside of the bar.

Craig Garrigan set up Brian Hart to restore Stars’ lead with his high shot beating Murphy in the Giants goal and Omar Pacha’s men doubled their advantage when a pass from FabrizioRicci hit off Marquardt and ended up in the Belfast goal.

Bouchard bagged his hat-trick after another two-on-one break only for Giants to score a fourth on 56 minutes when Blair Riley beat Sjögren in the 56th minute.

Stars next play Milton Keynes Lightning and Sheffield Steelers this weekend.