For the first time in its brief existence, the Belfast Giants enter the British KnockOut Cup this weekend, facing the Sheffield Steelers at the Ice Sheffield venue on Saturday and Sunday evenings.
This preliminary round tie will be played over a 2 legged affair, with both legs being held in Sheffield due to a lack of ice time in the Odyssey Arena.
The Giants will be looking to follow up knocking the Steelers out of the Challenge Cup by knocking them out of another competition, a task that won't be easy with both legs on Sheffield soil. Indeed, this is not the first time the Giants have appeared at Ice Sheffield, with a game against the then homeless Manchester Phoenix being hosted there a couple of seasons back.
Netminding duties are expected to be split over the weekend and Nathan Craze will hope to be tested just as little as he was against the Vipers last weekend where he faced just 14 shots.
For the Steelers, Brad Cruikshank is expected to play his first game since moving from the troubled Basingstoke Bison side and it will be interesting to see how quickly he fits in.
Join us on the forum or in the chatroom for updates on both Saturday and Sunday nights.
Aaron Kernohan
| P | TEAM | GP | W(OT) | L(OT) | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giants | 54 | 46(0) | 5(3) | 95 |
| 2 | Steelers | 54 | 41(0) | 11(2) | 84 |
| 3 | Panthers | 54 | 38(0) | 12(4) | 80 |
| 4 | Devils | 54 | 32(0) | 12(10) | 74 |
| 5 | Blaze | 54 | 32(0) | 20(2) | 66 |
| 6 | Clan | 54 | 31(0) | 19(4) | 66 |
| 7 | Stingrays | 54 | 16(0) | 34(4) | 36 |
| 8 | Stars | 54 | 13(0) | 35(6) | 32 |
| 9 | Capitals | 54 | 13(0) | 37(4) | 30 |
| 10 | Flyers | 54 | 8(0) | 40(6) | 22 |
| Points | Robert Dowd | 78 |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | Robert Dowd | 40 |
| Assists | Craig Peacock | 49 |
| PIM | Adam Keefe | 247 |