In a crucial league game this Sunday, the Belfast Giants face last season’s treble champions, Sheffield Steelers, on home ice.
Adam Keefe’s men will seek to continue their red hot form into this weekend, with four league wins on the trot and 22 goals seeing the Giants move up to third place in the Elite League standings.
With Sheffield currently sitting in second place on goal difference, if the Giants win on Sunday they have a chance to leapfrog one of their biggest rivals and gain some much needed ground on league leaders, Cardiff Devils.
The Giants most recent win - a 7-1 victory over the Dundee Stars on Wednesday evening - will provide another boost to their confidence as they prepare for a packed schedule of fixtures over the festive period.
After a string of games on the road, the Giants made their return to home ice in style with seven different scorers helping to put the Scottish side to the sword.
Elijiah Barriga, Gabe Bast, Mark Cooper, Pierre-Olivier Morin and J.J. Piccinich all scored in the first period to effectively end the game as a contest.
Cameron Pound and Ben Lake rounded things off for the hosts in the third period to send the side into third place and earned praise from head coach Adam Keefe who said following the game his side had ‘overwhelmed’ Dundee, who had arrived late and short-benched in Belfast.
A fitting win on a momentous night for the Giants, with five former players being inducted to the newly created hall of fame before the game: Dave Whistle, Jason Bowen, Mark Morrison, Albert Maasland and Bob Zeller.
The festivities to celebrate the Giant’s 25th anniversary year will be put in the backseat for the time being, with Keefe’s men sharpening their focus on the run of games taking them up to the end of the year.
The game against Sheffield Steelers represents a psychological test for the Giants, with the English side having won both of their encounters so far this season, albeit on ice.
Of course, the game is in Belfast this time around and, to add extra spice to the mix, the Giants have a point to prove against the side that took all three of their trophies away from them last season.
However, the Steelers will also be riding high on confidence, having dismantled the Guildford Flames 9-0 midweek at the Utilita Arena in a dominant and ruthless performance from the treble holders.
The English side also have three wins in a row, so the challenge is set for the Giants to move past their fiercest rivals and send a clear message about their title winning credentials.
The Giants will then face Coventry Blaze on Wednesday before playing a packed schedule of 6 games before the end of 2025 which could prove decisive in maintaining their title aspirations.
