The foreign money of sport is wins. So it has been and so it's going to at all times be, and it's one thing that Belfast Giants netminder Peyton Jones firmly believes in, too.
The goaltender was in impressed kind when he entered their Champions League tie towards Davos on Friday night time within the second interval, changing Jackson Whistle after a tough first interval for the GB worldwide noticed them path 4-0.
However for the ultimate two frames Jones proceeded, for probably the most half, to close the door on the rampant Swiss aspect, turning away 23 of the 24 photographs he confronted – the one exception being a trademark devastating Matej Stransky powerplay one-timer from the left circle – to maintain the scoreline at a reasonably respectable 5-1.
Whereas Stransky might have overwhelmed him within the third interval, Jones’ finest save of the sport did come towards the Czech worldwide when he robbed him on the doorstep with a surprising glove save and was notably sharper than in final week’s 6-3 defeat in Belfast.
Not a lot of a shock, then, that he was the one skating away with man of the match honours for the Giants on Friday night time as he stored them alive within the tie. However, when wins are all you place your concentrate on, particular person accolades imply little.
"We misplaced. I do not actually care both approach, I simply need to win,” stated the netminder bluntly within the aftermath at Eisstadion Davos.
"I got here in simply wanting to provide the blokes an opportunity to struggle again, as Keefer stated, win each interval and win a brand new sport.”
Jones did no less than give them an opportunity of profitable, making 11 saves in a second interval that the Giants gained 1-0 due to Ciaran Lengthy’s purpose that made it a three-goal sport, and you may’t assist however surprise how issues would have performed out had the identical man doubled his tally on the breakaway with Mark Cooper shortly earlier than the second intermission.
Nonetheless, after a catastrophic stretch that noticed Davos rating three objectives in a minute and 23 seconds within the first interval, to tie the ultimate 40 minutes 1-1 in a hostile enviornment is nothing to be ashamed of in a match the place they proceed to defy the percentages.
They might be pointless in Group H and now in want of three wins of their last three video games simply to succeed in the knockouts – and even that will not be sufficient – however they're battling arduous in each sport and so they nonetheless retain that confidence heading into their fourth group match towards Oceláři Třinec on Sunday on the SSE Area.
“It is not straightforward to lose, however I feel after the primary interval we performed some good hockey regardless that we had been drained,” added Jones.
“We had been simply making an attempt to win every interval and go from there, and for me it was about making an attempt to maintain us within the sport, give the blokes an opportunity to get again in it and have an opportunity to win.
“Generally the little victories are essential, so we'll attempt to construct on that come Sunday.”
For Jones, it has been a baptism of fireside for him in his first spell in Europe, the 26-year-old American thrust into the deep finish towards the most effective Europe has to supply and performing nicely to start out the marketing campaign.
Whereas the bottom statistics don’t look overly spectacular – a 3.77 objectives towards common flanked by an .878 save proportion – it’s price remembering 4 of the ten objectives he has let in got here towards Davos’ deadly powerplay (three by Stransky alone) and one was a nasty bounce off the boards within the first sport towards Třinec.
"Fairly good. Simply making an attempt to get higher each day,” is Jones’ evaluation of his personal begin.
"It's kind of of a distinct sport to what I am used to in America with the larger sheet, so I am simply making an attempt to get used to that as rapidly as I can and adjusting.
"For me, I nonetheless must get to know lots of these guys, what they do and the way they anticipate the sport, after which modify myself accordingly. I feel I have been good thus far however I need to be higher and I do know I might be higher to win video games for the staff.”