Just one weekend ago, the Belfast Giants suffered what many would call the single worst defeat in their history the night after losing an away game to bottom feeders Hull Stingrays. Less than one week later, the table topping Nottingham Panthers skated into town for a Friday/Saturday double header, accompanied by in excess of 500 fans.
Those away fans, accompanied on Friday night by many primary school kids from across Northern Ireland had the Odyssey buzzing long before face off. How would the Giants respond to the pressure? In a week when the team had been pushed hard by “embarrassed” coach Steve Thornton, could the team bounce back from the previous weekend’s double defeat?
| P | TEAM | GP | W(OT) | L(OT) | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blaze | 42 | 27(2) | 12(1) | 59 |
| 2 | Giants | 43 | 25(2) | 12(4) | 58 |
| 3 | Panthers | 44 | 24(4) | 15(1) | 57 |
| 4 | Devils | 42 | 16(5) | 18(3) | 45 |
| 5 | Vipers | 42 | 16(2) | 20(4) | 40 |
| 6 | Capitals | 40 | 13(3) | 19(5) | 37 |
| 7 | Steelers | 40 | 13(3) | 21(3) | 35 |
| 8 | Stingrays | 41 | 9(3) | 26(3) | 27 |
| Points | Colin Shields | 64 |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | Colin Shields | 26 |
| Assists | Brandon Benedict | 39 |
| PIM | Sean McMorrow | 308 |