Tired Giants let it slip away, admits Keefe
Boss frustrated after another overtime defeat
BELFAST Giants head coach Adam Keefe says his players lost their heads as their momentum heading into the Elite League Play-offs took a hit after the Fife Flyers came from behind to win in overtime in Kirkcaldy.
Although Ben Lake dazzled for his first multi-goal game since January 6 and Josh Roach and Daniel Tedesco both had threepoint nights, it would be a Troy Lajeunesse hat-trick that would sink the Giants, the Flyers forward leaving them with just a point for their efforts and ending a run of three straight wins.
Belfast had led for the majority of the game, as Lake put them ahead with two goals either side of the first intermission, and then Tedesco restored their lead on the powerplay after Lajeunesse scored twice in the space of 30 seconds midway through the second period.
But three penalties in the final frame for the Giants would have them constantly playing on the back foot, allowing Vitalijs Pavlovs to tie it up with 4:43 left, and Lajeunesse would complete his hat-trick 2:42 into overtime for the game-winner, with the fact that it, too, came on the powerplay being a fitting ending.
Now 29-15-5 on the season, the Giants’ chances of overhauling the Cardiff Devils into second seeding for the Play-offs are all but gone — which will be mathematically confirmed if they lose in Cardiff on Wednesday, as they are eight points back with five games left — and they now have to refocus on regaining that momentum for the knock-outs, which start in three weeks’ time.
They can still bank on that lethal top line, which combined for all three goals, and a fine 3-for-3 night for the penalty kill in regulation, but Keefe could only focus on that worrying penalty count.
“I loved the first two periods. Outside of one shift, we were in control of the game,” began Keefe, before turning his focus.
“Third period, we lost our heads. Took four penalties there inside the last 25 minutes. It’s hard to win a game like that, especially against a desperate team like Fife, who is very dangerous. You look across their forward group, they’ve got some real offensive firepower.
“We gave them four powerplays, we get nothing, all we’re doing is getting tired. In terms of game management there in the third period, it’s just not good enough. It’s disappointing.”
Lake’s goal at 10:58 had broken the deadlock, the centre found steaming into the left circle by a great pass from Tedesco and picking the top corner, and he would double the lead just 57 seconds into the second period when he tipped in Roach’s pass at the crease for his 18th of the campaign.
But Lajeunesse’s quickfire double, the winger tying it at 30:39 when he buried it in the top corner from out in front, then skating in from the blue-line and beating Tyler Beskorowany — 34 saves — five-hole at 31:09, would tie the game, although just as soon as they were level, the Giants were back ahead, Tedesco snapping in the powerplay one-timer from the right circle just 1:04 after that to capitalise on a holding call against Humitz, his 20th of the season.
But back-to-back interference calls on Greg Printz and Oliver Cooper early in the third sapped their energy and eventually allowed Pavlovs to equalise even strength at 55:17, and a further delay of game call on Jacob Friend at the death would leave them even more tired for their second overtime in as many nights after also having needed an extra period to beat the Dundee Stars on Saturday.
And the winner came just 19 seconds into a Tedesco tripping call, Lajeunesse emphatically calling game with a thunderous one-timer from the right circle to leave the Giants with just a point at the Fife Ice Arena.