Belfast Giants head coach Adam Keefe is not one for mincing his words.
That is why, following last weekend’s narrow penalty shoot-out loss to the Sheffield Steelers, the praise he gave his players is an indication of the pride he took in his side’s performance.
There is no shame in losing to last season’s Grand Slam champions, but even less shame in the manner in which the men in teal battled in a game which went down to the wire, with regular time unable to separate the sides in a tight contest.
“I think it’s a great start because I’m a believer in early adversity if you handle it the right way,” explained the Belfast Giants boss.
“The guys certainly passed the first test, so I’m very happy about that.”
The ‘first test’ refers to the fact that the Giants have glided their way to victory in their opening games - maintaining a 100 per cent win record - but faced a much sterner test against the reigning treble champions Sheffield.
The much-changed squad appear to have resolved some defensive weaknesses in evidence in the opening few games of the season, and Keefe’s men have looked increasingly convincing as silverware contenders this season with each passing week.
Last weekend’s preliminary clash - an attritional 7-3 win on the road against Manchester Storm - left the Giants six players short, with only 14 skaters at their disposal against the league champions.
Keefe was proud of his side’s effort on the night and reserved praise for their biggest rivals for all three pieces of silverware this season.
“I thought the guys battled and fought well for a very important point on the road,” Keefe explained.
“It sounds weird to leave happy with only one point, but they’re a very good team who have retained their core group of players and added some pretty good ones. We came here pretty depleted.”
The Giants were ravaged by injury last season, leading to a major stumble in the middle of the campaign followed by a late rally to finish strong.
This time around, if the Giants can figure out how to deal with a depleted roster early in the season and continue with a string of consistent performances, then the early signs suggest they have the talent in the squad to position themselves at the top of the table once again.
If Adam Keefe wants adversity, then he is getting what he wished for as the Giants are set to face their second biggest test of the season against the Cardiff Devils this Saturday in Belfast.
The Devils finished second in the league last season, one place ahead of the Giants. They have enjoyed a strong start to the season with high scoring wins over the likes of Manchester Storm, Glasgow Clan and the Fife Flyers.
The Giants cruised to a comfortable 5-1 win over the Devils in pre-season, but Pete Russell’s side will be motivated for a clash with their fellow league contenders now that points are on the line.
The puck drops at the SSE Arena at 7pm on Saturday. The Giants will then have a few days to recover and regroup before they turn their attention to their Challenge Cup game with Fife Flyers in Scotland on Wednesday evening.
