Everything seems to be falling into place for Adam Keefe’s side at just the right time.
An eight-point lead at the top of the Elite League puts the Giants in pole position to reclaim the league title, albeit with plenty of hockey still to play this season.
A 3-0 win over Nottingham Panthers in the semi-final of the Challenge Cup on Wednesday evening also gives the Giants a comfortable cushion as they prepare to play the second leg of the fixture.
The Giants will have booked their place in the Challenge Cup final unless the Panthers manage to overcome the three-goal deficit in Nottingham in two weeks time.
Goals from Mark Cooper, Ciaran Long and Jordan Kawaguchi and a clean sheet from Jackson Whistle saw the Giants secure an impressive shutout victory in front of home fans.
Captain Mark Cooper led by example, getting his side off to the perfect start with a superb individual goal in the opening period.
The hosts doubled their lead minutes later, with Elijah Barriga assisting Ciaran Long, who slotted a skilful backhand finish into the roof of the net.
The Panthers grew into the game after the interval however goalie Jackson Whistle was able to successfully resist pressure from the visitors to shut them out.
Whistle’s goalkeeping heroics continued in the third period and the Giants got the better of the closing exchanges, with Jordan Kawaguchi slotting home the rebound from a Mark Cooper attempt, sealing a comfortable win.
Speaking after the game head coach, Adam Keefe, said there was room for improvement despite what looked like a convincing result.
“I thought we were good in certain areas but could have been better in a lot of areas.” Keefe reflected.
“I thought Jackson was very solid there when we did break down, he was there to shut the door on them.”
“We did get some timely scoring, I thought Mark Cooper stepped up tonight and that’s nice to see. Then we get a goal from our fourth line there, nice play and a heck of a finish. It gives us a cushion going into a road building we haven’t had any success in this year.
“That’s nice to have but it is a 120-minute game for a reason and we will have to be better when we play again in two weeks’ time.
“I thought we were pretty difficult on them getting into our zone, the guys played tight and made it difficult for them to get possession. We had some big-time plays there to poke a puck out of the zone or block shots when we were under fire. That’s a good Nottingham team, as we know, and I thought we did a pretty good job against them defensively.”
The Giants turn their attention back to league action this weekend with a visit from Scottish side, Fife Flyers, followed by a trip to Sheffield Steelers on Sunday evening.
The next run of fixtures could prove decisive in the Giants’ season however they are very much in the driving seat, with the league title now looking within their grasp.
This weekend’s first hurdle, the clash with Fife Flyers, should not prove too much of a challenge given the toiling Scottish outfit sit bottom of the league table.
Friday’s clash is merely the appetiser to Sunday’s main course, a showdown with reigning grand slam champions, Sheffield Steelers.
The Steelers have struggled at times in the first half of the season but have surged up the table in recent weeks and currently occupy second place in the league standings.
It has been a mixed bag for the Giants against their fiercest rival so far this season, with the Giants winning one and losing one in their most recent two league encounters. Keefe’s men have failed to get any success on the road to the Steelers so far this season.
Provided Keefe’s men don’t take their foot off the pedal and capitulate at the end of this campaign, there is enough of a cushion for some minor mishaps but plenty more tests lie ahead, starting with this weekend.
