There is not a lot that separates the sides so far this season with the Devils currently leading the way in the Elite League with 58 points from 36 games whilst the Giants have 53 points from 35 games.
Head Coach Adam Keefe is preparing his team to face an in-form Devils side on a seven game winning streak,
“We need our best this weekend. Cardiff are on a run right now – they are playing well and we know just how good they can be. We need to be the best Belfast Giants team we can this weekend to have success.”
Belfast can boast the best defence so far in 2018/19 with 81 goals conceded and the Devils have posted the league’s best offence with 146 goals scored. The netminding department sees the Devils’ Ben Bowns lead the league in wins with 27, though Belfast’s Beskorowany is #1 with GAA (1.98) and Save Percentage (.930).
The Giants have defeated the Devils on the two occasions they have clashed this season so far, although Keefe is expecting a different challenge this weekend in Cardiff,
“We got Cardiff at a time when they were not playing their best hockey..though now they are. We will experience a different Cardiff side this weekend. We need to worry about our performance and if we go into Cardiff with our best hockey then I am confident we can push the Devils to their limits.”
The Elite League season is now over the halfway stage and the Giants return to domestic action following their Continental Cup Final campaign that brought a second place finish last Sunday night at The SSE Arena. Although the business end of the season is approaching, Coach Keefe is not looking too far ahead and taking each game one at a time,
“We need to stay in the moment and not look too far ahead. We are taking things day by day right now – we’ll get to Cardiff and put forth our best effort, regroup after the weekend and worry about the next weekend.”
