BELFAST Giants got a monkey off their backs when they won an Elite League game on the road for the first time this season with a 6-5 victory over Manchester Storm, after a penalty shoot-out.
The two points were very welcome as they enabled Adam Keefe's team to move up to fifth in the table, separated only from second-placed Cardiff Devils on fewer games won.
However, the Giants head coach will have been concerned by the fact a 5-1 lead was tossed away before they reversed a shoot-out defeat by Manchester at the SSE Arena a week earlier.
Curtis Hamilton netted after only five minutes before the hosts hit back to equalise though Kyle Hope.
Bobby Farnham and Ben Lake then scored to give the Giants a 3-1 first period lead.
Hamilton added his second two minutes into the middle period and then completed his treble.
Storm responded with goals from Layne Ulmer, Tyson Fawcett, Cameron Critchlow and Scott Simmonds to complete a remarkable comeback and force a scoreless overtime.
Then it was the turn of Giants goalie Shane Owen to seal the win with two saves in the shoot-out with Lake, Hamilton and Jordan Smotherman all converting their penalty shots in a 3-1 success.
