Wednesday: Flames and Giants begin cup semi-final

Photo: John Uwins

Guildford Flames host Belfast Giants on Wednesday night as both sides look for a first leg advantage in their Viaplay Challenge Cup Semi-Final series.

It's first plays third based on current league positions, although with cup seeding from the group stage this tie sees sixth face first.

Belfast came through the group stage with 100% record, but in the Quarter-Finals had to come from three down on aggregate to get past Nottingham Panthers in the home leg. The Giants saw an 11-game winning run come to an end with a shootout defeat to the Panthers at the weekend, although have still not lost in regulation in 12 straight matches.

Guildford went back to the top of the league table with a 4-2 win in Sheffield on Saturday, followed up by a home win over Manchester. They had a mixed cup group phase finishing second in their group behind Coventry, but then thrashed the Blaze 9-3 on aggregate to make it through the Quarter-Finals.

The return leg will be played in Belfast next week. If the Giants win through, they will host the final; if the Flames make it, the winners of the Sheffield-Fife series will take that honour instead. Belfast are defending champions, while Guildford reached the 2019 final - the only time they've been past the Quarter-Final stage before.

As this is the first leg of an aggregate-scoring series, there can be no overtime tonight. The score at 60 minutes will be carried over to the second leg.