Today: Giants and Panthers host Sunday's early games

Photo: Panthers Images

Belfast Giants and Nottingham Panthers are the hosts of Sunday's two early starts, taking on the Coventry Blaze and Dundee Stars from 1600 respectively.

Belfast Giants vs. Coventry Blaze (Tickets | Webcast)
The Giants and Blaze meet again on Sunday afternoon after the hosts eased to a 6-1 win on Saturday night in a game that wasn't short of chippiness.

That victory kept the Giants five points off top spot in the Premier Sports Elite League, and also maintained their record as the best home team in the league with just one defeat so far this season.

Coventry are now involved in what is a four-way, and could soon be a five-way, battle for playoff places. |The Blaze have played the fewest amount of games of the teams around them, but are currently tied on 22 points with both Dundee and Manchester chasing below. Head Coach Danny Stewart will be looking for a response after admitting his side were "garbage" in Saturday's defeat.

Nottingham Panthers vs. Dundee Stars (Tickets | Webcast)
Nottingham host Dundee on Sunday afternoon hoping to not be drawn into the playoff scrap emerging below them.

The Panthers are five points clear of the trapdoor, but take on one of those teams chasing them in the Stars. After putting together five straight wins following the departure of Head Coach Tim Wallace, Mark Matheson's team have now lost just as many in a row. Their last point came in an overtime loss against the Stars in Dundee, where the Panthers twice came back from two goals down.

Dundee let a three-goal lead slip on home ice before going down to Manchester in a shootout on Saturday night. The result means the Stars have picked up seven points from five games, but they will certainly feel like it was a point lost against the Storm.

The Panthers have won seven straight against the Stars in Nottingham dating back to December 2018.