Tonight: Giants and Steelers begin crucial weekend series
Photo: Dean Woolley
Belfast Giants and Sheffield Steelers begin a crucial weekend double-header at the SSE Arena in Belfast this Friday evening in games that will shape the title race over the next month. After this weekend, these teams will meet another three times before the end of the regular season.
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The Giants went top of the Premier Sports Elite League last weekend, capitalising on Sheffield losing in Fife and then dropping points to Dundee. Belfast lead by two points having played a game more, however, they are effectively three points ahead due to having a far superior regulation wins tiebreaker (26 vs. 18).
Adam Keefe's Giants are on a roll. They have won 10 straight, and haven't lost in regulation in 17 games - a record stretching back to late January. Over the last 30 games, the Giants have collected a league-leading 54 points from a possible 60 - some six more than next-placed Sheffield.
Aaron Fox's Steelers head into Belfast winless in three games for the first time this season. Those defeats to Dundee and in Fife saw Sheffield knocked off top spot for the first time in over four months but with 14 games to go and five against the Giants, the outcome of the league title is still also very much in their hands.
Steelers' leading scorer Marc-Olivier Vallerand has been out for almost a month but is expected to make a return this weekend. His side will also need production form elsewhere, and compared to the Giants' four, the Steelers only have one player among the league's top ten point scorers.
When it comes to averages, the Giants tend to out-score, and concede fewer goals than, the Steelers through 41 and 40 games respectively. All told, Belfast average winning games by a goal differential of 2.19 this season, while the Steelers are narrower on 1.35.
These teams have met just once so far this season when the Steelers gave out a 7-1 thrashing. The last four meetings between the teams have gone the way of the home side.
