Elite League round-up January 13 (From The Bolton News)

Elite League round-up January 13

11:19pm Monday 16th January 2012 in Other sport By Nigel McFarlane

ELITE LEAGUE ICE HOCKEY:

A round up of the games from Friday January 13 in the Elite Ice Hockey League.

Belfast Giants 5 Coventry Blaze 3

League leaders Giants went five points clear in the standings after picking up both points in the first of their home double header against Blaze at the Odyssey Arena.

It’s a fourth straight win for Giants and only one loss in nine as they continue to make the pace, but it’s a third loss in four for Paul Thompson’s men with their own league challenges almost over now.

It was the visitors who took advantage of some early penalty trouble for the hosts as Matic Kralj fired home while his side enjoyed a two-man advantage at 6.31 but on their own powerplay Giants tied it up at 14.18 with a goal from Robert Dowd. Blaze then went back in front at 16.48 with a strike by Shea Guthrie but at 18.00 it was 2-2 when Dowd scored his second of the game.

The middle period saw only one counting goal and that came the way of the home side and Jon Pelle at 30.58 on the powerplay but the same player then missed a penalty shot at 36.54 that kept Blaze right in the game only a single goal behind.

Into the third period and when Aaron Clarke made it 4-2 to Giants at 48.34 they had some breathing space – space they needed as a tense finish looked on the cards when Robert Farmer pulled a goal back at 57.22 However, that was as close as Blaze got as at 58.58 Adam Keefe fired into the empty net to ensure the points were staying with Doug Christiansen’s side – at least for the first of the weekend match-ups between the teams.

Dundee Stars 1 Cardiff Devils 3

Devils' three game road trip to Scotland started off in winning fashion up in Tayside with a deserved 3-1 success over Stars with the immediate benefit of the Welsh side moving back above Braehead and into 5th spot in the standings.

For Stars however it was a third straight loss and with bottom club Fife only two points behind but with three games in hand, Stars are very much looking over their shoulders right now.

Devils, backed by a large travelling support, took the honours in the opening period with the only goal coming from Phil Hill timed 10.23.

Stars got right back into it early in the middle session when John Dolan fired home at 21.04 but the visitors regained their advantage shortly afterwards with skipper Stuart Macrae on the spot to score at 24.55. Devils then went two in front at 34.10 with a strike by Kenton Smith and led 3-1 at the end of the period.

Devils were able to effectively snuff out the home threat in the final period to the extent that Stars were unable to make any inroads into the visitors lead and with a blank period resulting it was a happy Devils squad who move on to Kirkcaldy for the next date on their Scottish trip with points already in the bag.