Adey: Always tricky coming back off a break

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Nottingham Panthers face Belfast Giants live on Viaplay Sports this Tuesday evening. It's a game that sees the Giants looking to go joint-top of the league, while the Panthers have 16 games to try and finish as high as possible and turn round an otherwise disappointing season so far.

Viaplay analyst Paul Adey has coached both teams, and we caught up with him to get his thoughts ahead of the live clash. Teams have just returned from the international break, which is where we started getting Adey's thoughts.

"Some teams would have given their guys a few days off to have a break, but at this time of year, I don't think many would have given them the full week off. Obviously, Corey and Adam weren't there as they were with the national team, but I'm sure they'll have left their assistant coaches with some practices and things to work on," he explained. "It's always tricky coming back off as a break as you don't know who's going to come back and play a good game.

"If you have an older team it's really good as the older guys will use it more than the younger guys. But mentally, for everyone, it's good to have a break at some point in the season. If you're a professional, you'll find a way to be ready."

Nottingham find themselves sixth but some 13 points behind going any higher ahead of the final stretch of the season. "Unless Coventry have a complete breakdown, which I don't think they'll do as they've been very consistent this year, I don't think the Panthers will finish any higher than sixth - unless they win 10 games in a row or something," said Adey. "They've had a lack of consistency, it's been that kind of year for them, and Corey has had a lot to work on to get the team to play in his style. They've also made a lot of changes, so that can be difficult, too.

"You don't often see a Panthers team often below .500 or not in the top five, so it's an unusual season for them. In saying that, they've had good results at some top teams in the league and would think if they can get into the playoffs and ride a hot goalie, they'd be in with a chance of winning it. So their season is by no means over."

On the other side of the ice, Belfast come into the Motorpoint Arena looking to go level on points with Guildford at the top.

"Belfast are trying to win an Elite League title and have brought guys in that they think can win them big games down the stretch. They've got a pretty full bench at the moment and are playing a lot of games in a row this week, but when you're going for the title you just have to bear down and find a way to win," said the former Panthers and Giants coach. "They've been hot lately, so perhaps the break wasn't the best thing for them on a roll, but with where they are in the league they'll have to hit the ground running.

"It's pretty tough to win every game, especially this season as there are too many teams playing at a high level. The Giants are looking very good right now but the Panthers have played well against them this season and won some games.

"On paper, it's perhaps a bigger game for the Giants but the Panthers will have to look over their shoulder a bit with the teams chasing further down. This season they've tended to do better against teams at the top than those below them, so they'll have to be a little bit careful and can't afford to go on a four or five-game skid."

And finally, the keys to the game? "Goal scoring has been an issue for the Panthers this season, on the other hand it hasn't been for the Giants. The Panthers will be thinking about how they can slow down Belfast offensively, they're hard to keep off the scoresheet. Execution will be a big factor in this game."