JJ Piccinich scored a hat-trick to lead the Belfast Giants to a 2-5 victory over the Genting Casino Coventry Blaze at the Skydome Arena, ending Coventry’s undefeated start to the Elite League season at five games.
Before the fixture, the Blaze paid tribute to the memory of Adam Johnson, who tragically lost his life nearly a year ago during an Elite League Challenge Cup game.
Once the puck dropped, both teams pushed to establish control, with the Giants opening the scoring.
Elijiah Barriga charged towards the net at 11.10, creating chaos in front of the goal. Scott Conway seized the loose puck, slotting it home to put Belfast on the board.
Despite two powerplay opportunities, Coventry couldn’t equalise, and Belfast capitalised on their first powerplay attempt when Conway set up Piccinich, who found the net at 18.21 to make it 0-2.
Piccinich struck again on the powerplay at 28.08, marking a standout night for Belfast’s special teams, which went 2-for-2 while Coventry’s league-leading powerplay went scoreless on six attempts.
Chase Gresock tipped in a shot at 29.07 to bring the Blaze within one, raising hopes of another comeback.
Just before the end of the second period, Morten Jurgens tallied his second goal of the weekend, assisted by Jack Hopkins and Alessio Luciani, who was named Man of the Match.
However, Coventry’s momentum was short-lived. Just 1.08 into the final period, Piccinich completed his hat-trick with an assist from Conway, who recorded three points on the night.
Bo Hanson’s blue-line shot at 55.14 capped the scoring, securing a solid road win for the Giants and ending Blaze’s unbeaten run.
Photo credit: Scott Stevens
