Giants’ delight over Cardiff after Challenge Cup KO

Well they say the show isn’t over until the fat lady sings and that is certainly the case with the Elite League this season.

Earlier in the week the Stena Line Belfast Giants bowed out of the Challenge Cup semi-final. They had tried unsuccessfully to claw back a four-goal deficit in the Lace City after their 5-1 loss to the Panthers in the first leg of the Challenge Cup Semi Final. Back in Belfast it was a close loss but yet another electrifying game between the two Elite League top contenders – this time honours going again to Nottingham 4-3.

With only the league and playoff titles to concentrate on, the Giants got straight back down to work against the Cardiff Devils in a weekend double header at Fortress Odyssey. Despite being behind no fewer than four times in the game, the Giants dug deep and picked up the win, keeping the pressure on league leaders Nottingham.

A surprise entry to the game was Stephen Murphy, playing backup for the first period only, as starting puck stopper Garrett Zemlak succumb to injury after the first twenty minutes of play.

Belfast were spurred on by their continual comebacks and finally struck the front themselves for the first time when Robby Sandrock fired home the winner with just over eight minutes left to play.

In the second matchup of the weekend, Giants’ Man of the Match Stephen Murphy helped immensely as the Belfast side recorded a 5-0 victory thus keeping their title hopes alive with a whitewash against the Welsh team whilst ‘Murph’ recorded his third shutout of the season.

The return to match fitness after a length injury for Andrew Fournier was key to the Giants’ attack, scoring three goals in the two games, not forgetting Belfast’s latest signing Chad Langlais, who recorded four assists, to help the Giants shore up the rear whilst assisting in the scoring himself.

With the walking wounded still waiting in the wings it could be necessary for the Giants’ “Ace-in-the-hole” Greg Stewart to heal quickly to be ready for the Panther encounters.

Belfast’s other Dmen like Will Colbert and Brock Matheson are assessed week to week but when fit present a problem for Belfast’s Head Coach Doug Christiansen as to who to dress and who to sit. As well if Garrett Zemlak backs up Murphy in goal, which could be a great asset which import sits out that game as the Giants have imports to spare. In the Northern Conference it’s still anyone title.

A double victory over the Devils is a great way to bring back self-belief in the team after the Nottingham Panthers encounters. With only a limited number of six games to play in the Elite League schedule, time is precious if the Giants are to overcome the Panthers who hold a four points advantage, it may just be mission impossible.

However, two of those games are in Belfast against the title seeking repeat hopefuls. The Belfast Giants could still pull off the magic of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat with a double victory in those two huge match-ups.

The next team, out of either Belfast or Nottingham, who blinks first could be the loser of this campaign’s title race.

Certainly the Giants cannot afford a loss in their last six games and still hope to win the title. They must also beat the Panthers twice in Fortress Odyssey to claw back the four-point deficit. The cauldron continues to boil with the mixture close to boiling point for one of the two teams. Question is: which one will it be?