The Belfast Giants were crowned Challenge Cup Champions after they put in a dominant performance to defeat Cardiff Devils 4-0 in the final in Belfast on Wednesday Night.
Goalie Jackson Whistle turned away 38 shots to shut-out the Welsh side, while goals from Ciaran Long, J.J. Piccinich, Jordan Kawaguchi and captain Mark Cooper secured the first piece of silverware of the Elite League campaign.
It’s one trophy in the bag and two more to go for Adam Keefe’s side, with the Elite League title and Play-Offs trophy still on the table in the remaining part of the season.
It’s the seventh time in their history the Giants have reached the final and the fifth time they have won the Challenge Cup. On three previous occasions the Giants have won the Challenge Cup they have also gone on to win the league title.
Having secured the first silverware of the season in front of a sold out home crowd at the SSE Arena, celebrations were in full flow on Wednesday night however the Giants will soon be switching their focus to consolidating their position at the league’s summit.
Keefe’s side currently hold a three point lead at the top of the table over their closest rivals, the Sheffield Steelers. The Giants will have little time to rest on their laurels, with two league games – against Fife Flyers and Glasgow Clan – coming up this weekend.
Trophy success has come at just the right time for the Giants, providing a boost to power them into the tail end of the season after an uncharacteristic poor run of form recently.
Based on the evidence of their emphatic win over Cardiff in the final, the men in teal appear to have regained their clinical edge in front of goal.
One man who deserves particular plaudits is goalie, Jackson Whistle, whose heroics in nets kept his side in the game with a remarkable shut-out performance under significant pressure from a spirited Cardiff side.
The Irish News caught up with Jackson Whistle on the following the final buzzer to get his thoughts on the victory.
“I felt good all night and did my best to keep them out but it was a team effort.” Whistle explains.
“They guys did a great job. They were diving all over the place, blocking shots, battling the whole sixty minutes and doing all the little things right.
“It was a great team performance and I’m just glad to have played a role in that.”
Indeed, despite the scoreline suggesting otherwise, it wasn’t all plain sailing for the Giants.
Cardiff started with intent, peppering the Giants goalie with shots while the hosts looked dangerous on the breakaway.
The Giants got on the board first, with Ciaran Long batting in a rebound from a Gabe Bast effort to put his side ahead.
Cardiff failed to capitalise on other half chances in the first period and were punished when the Giants broke away. Scott Conway supplied an assist to JJ Piccinich who swept the puck home just before the first interval, doubling the hosts’ advantage.
Hopes of a comeback in the second period were dashed for the visitors, with Kawaguchi and Mark Cooper scoring a quickfire double to put the game out of reach.
There was no lack of effort from Cardiff to find a way back into the game however none of 65 attempts on goal could find their way past Whistle.
The third period saw the Giants expertly manage the game to seal a dominant win and the side’s first piece of silverware this season in front of an electric home crowd.
Reflecting on what the victory means to his side, Whistle says his side will take time to enjoy the win but insists the celebrations will have finished by the time the weekend arrives, with two important league games to focus on.
“Of course, the win means a lot to us. At the start of every year you start out with a job to win a trophy.” Whistle said.
“Obviously, it’s the same with every other team and we know how competitive the league is, so this is a big achievement.
“We did a good job early on in the competition and we got the home ice advantage which I think is a difference maker in terms of having all of the fans here. The atmosphere was electric and there was noise for the whole game which is a huge credit to our home support. There was a great buzz in the arena for the entire game.
“We don’t get too long to celebrate or reflect on the journey to get here. Any chance you get to enjoy winning a trophy is really special, so we’re going to enjoy it tonight. Hopefully we get the day off tomorrow – we’ll see – and then it’s back to business on Friday.
“We had kind of struggled in the last two weeks but we know we’re a good team and we know how to play the right way and it was a case of going out there and doing the job. Cardiff came out pretty hot at the start of the first period. Then we kind of weathered the storm and took over in the second and third.
“We got the job done and it feels good to be champions. We’ll celebrate and then it’s on to the next tasks at hand.”