2 days Ago
That’s largely down to the Belfast Giants, who have allowed the Sheffield Steelers and Nottingham Panthers back into the mix thanks to a string of results that should have gone in their favour, the most recent being this stunning reverse against the ninth-placed Manchester Storm at the SSE Arena. The League’s leading scorer Alexis D’Aoust did the damage in Belfast, his hat-trick setting the Play-Off-chasing Storm on their way to the victory and, despite putting 50 shots on David Tendeck in the opposite net, the Giants’ only response was David Goodwin’s fifth goal of the 2024/25 season that tied it midway through the first period, with Manchester going on to score four unanswered to secure the two points. The net result means that the Giants’ lead going into the final weekend is one point over the Sheffield Steelers and four over the Panthers ahead of a home-away double-header with the Panthers.
Win both and they are champions. Drop any points and they need favours from the Cardiff Devils or Coventry Blaze, whom the Steelers play on the final weekend. But the unfortunate reality for the Giants is that in the previous month alone, they have dropped two games to the Storm – this one at home and one away – and one at home to the eighth-placed Dundee Stars.
Win two of those three and they would already be celebrating the title. Instead, they need some points against the Panthers, ideally all four. And coming off the back of putting 19 goals past the Fife Flyers in back-to-back games, this was a sore one for Keefe’s side, who now must dust themselves off and get ready for unquestionably the two biggest games of their season.
“There’s no question playing against Fife twice hurt us mentally,” sighed Keefe, whose side fell to 35-11-6 on the season. “We have to get back to playing direct hockey, crashing the net and working for it. That’s it.
When you look at Manchester’s winning goal, it’s a shot from the point through traffic and it goes in the net. “We need guys to fight for pucks, for rebounds. We have to compete in practice like our season depends on it because it does.
“We’ve got a big week coming up here, we have to win two games to win a League title and if we can’t do that, we don’t deserve it. But I have faith in this group we’re going to stay committed, have a big week of training and be well-prepared for a big weekend against Nottingham.” The Giants were behind just 27 seconds in against the Storm as D’Aoust scored the first of two in the first period, with Goodwin’s response in between, with the Storm winger completing his hat-trick in the third period before Tyler Hinam and Craig Martin’s empty-netter added some gloss to the scoreline.
“I thought I’d prepared them the right way for what is essentially a Play-Off game and we started the game by giving up a four-on-two,” fumed Keefe. “We gave a team that’s fighting like that life from shift No.1 and then we have to chase the game.
Bad way to start a hockey game. “We had some good shifts but I thought we were pretty perimeter. The battles around the net, Manchester were hungrier and heavier in those areas, and the reality is we didn’t get enough scoring tonight and made big mistakes that ended up in the back of our net.
We get a powerplay there and we take a penalty. Too many mental errors there tonight to win that game. “Manchester is playing for its life, we can’t take anything away from them, but we gave the best player in the League right now a hat-trick, he was the best player on the ice and the reason they’re leaving with two points.
It stings, for sure.”.
