Belfast Giants continued their impressive run of form with a 4-1 away win over Sheffield Steelers at Utilita Arena on Sunday afternoon, outscoring their hosts three goals to nil across the second and third periods after a tense first period finish 1-1.
It is Belfast's fourth win from five and a second successive away victory at Utilita Arena in three days, following Saturday's 4-0 shutout at the same venue. For Sheffield, two home defeats to the same opponents in the same weekend is a damaging result, and their only consolation is Balmas' early opener — the fastest goal of the weekend at just 58 seconds in.
Balmas strikes inside a minute — Smith equalises late
Balmas opened the scoring at 0:58 from Watling and Dougherty to give Sheffield a lead they held for the best part of eighteen minutes. Shudra was penalised for tripping at 2:45 but Belfast killed the box without conceding.
Smith equalised for Belfast at 18:30 from Twarynski's assist, and the first period ended 1-1. A tense, well-contested opening twenty minutes, with both sides having had their moments — but Belfast having shown, as they had on Saturday, that they could absorb Sheffield's home pressure and respond.
Guay gives Belfast the lead — third period seals it
Guay scored the decisive goal at 23:50 in the second period — Freeman and Long assisting — to put Belfast ahead for the first time. Sheffield could not find a response despite pushing throughout the second and into the third, and the only event of note in the final twenty minutes until the closing stages was Dowd's hooking penalty at 40:10, which Belfast killed without incident.
The final two minutes
Sheffield pushed for an equaliser late, pulling McAdam at 57:54 for an extra skater. Belfast punished it immediately. Piccinich scored the first empty net goal at 58:27 from Goodwin's assist. McAdam came back on at 58:27 — Sheffield's attempt to limit the damage — before going back off again at 58:48, and Smith scored the second empty net goal unassisted at 59:11 to make it 4-1. McAdam returned once more at 59:11 but the match was over.
Two empty net goals in 44 seconds. The goalkeeper sequence — off, on, off, on — in the space of the final 84 seconds underlines how desperate Sheffield's situation had become by then.
Belfast's weekend context
Back-to-back away wins at Utilita Arena — 4-0 on Saturday, 4-1 on Sunday — is an extraordinary weekend of results for a Belfast side now on four wins from five. Kupsky conceded only one goal across the two matches combined. Smith's brace across the two days gives him three goals in the weekend. The Giants are playing with real confidence and consistency at exactly the right time of the season.
For Sheffield, two home defeats to Belfast in 24 hours raises serious questions. Their only league win in their last five remains the 7-1 at Fife on Friday, and that now feels isolated from what has been a difficult home stretch.