The Belfast Giants delivered a festive home-ice masterclass on Sunday night, powering to a dominant 7–1 Elite League victory over the Dundee Stars at The SSE Arena.
At the heart of it all was an unstoppable Scott Conway, who netted four goals in a sensational individual performance, as Adam Keefe’s men made it four league wins on the bounce and sent the Belfast crowd home buzzing.
With support scoring from Nicolas Guay and Ryan Smith, plus a calm and commanding display between the pipes from Jackson Whistle, the Giants were ruthless from start to finish.
First Period: Powerplay Precision Sets the Tone
Belfast started with intent, forcing early pressure and testing Dundee netminder Jarrett Fiske. Marcus Eriksson and Jordan Kawaguchi both went close, but it was on the powerplay where the breakthrough arrived.
After Jackson Desouza was penalised for hooking JJ Piccinich, the Giants needed just seven seconds to capitalise. Eriksson teed up Conway in the slot, and the red-hot centre rifled home a one-timer at 9:44 to open the scoring.
Dundee threatened sporadically on the rush, but Whistle stood tall when called upon. Belfast doubled their lead late in the period when Nicolas Guay showed brilliant composure, firing in from the right circle at 19:07 to send the Giants into the break 2–0 up.
Second Period: Conway Completes the Hat-Trick in Style
The middle frame was all Belfast.
After a disciplined penalty kill, the Giants struck twice in quick succession. Ryan Smith made it 3–0 straight off a face-off at 23:15, before Conway pounced on a loose puck at the crease just over a minute later to make it 4–0.
The hat-trick goal followed soon after. Piccinich drove hard to the net, and Conway was exactly where he needed to be, tapping in at 29:26 to complete a stunning treble.
Guay then grabbed his second of the night at 34:51, smashing home a one-timer after slick passing with Mike Lee to make it 6–0. Dundee grabbed a late consolation before the break through Keanu Yamamoto, but the Giants remained firmly in control at 6–1.
Third Period: Conway Adds a Fourth as Giants Cruise Home
With the result effectively settled, Belfast continued to press, and Conway looked hungry for more. After several close chances, he struck again on the powerplay, blasting a slapshot through traffic at 50:21 to complete a memorable four-goal night.
At the other end, Whistle ensured there would be no late drama, producing a sharp save to deny Ben Almquist, while the Giants almost added an eighth in the closing stages, only for Fiske to deny David Goodwin and Conway in quick succession.
The final buzzer sealed a 7–1 statement win and another confident step forward in the Elite League title race.
What It Means for the Giants
This performance underlined everything that makes Belfast dangerous right now:
- Red-hot scoring depth
- Clinical special teams
- Defensive discipline
- A crowd fully behind the team at The SSE Arena
Conway’s four-goal haul will rightly grab headlines, but this was a complete team performance that sends a clear message to the rest of the league.
Next Up: Festive Hockey Fever Continues
The Giants’ packed festive schedule continues with:
- Boxing Day: Home vs Fife Flyers
- Sunday 28 December: Away trip to Kirkcaldy
- Tuesday 30 December: Home vs Glasgow Clan
- New Year’s Eve: Away in Scotland against the Clan
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