Saturday: Key games at top of Cup groups
Photo: Al Goold
There is both League and Challenge Cup action on Saturday night in Week 6 of the 2024/25 season.
Dundee Stars start a two-game road stretch visiting Guildford Flames at 6pm. The Stars will travel onto Cardiff on Sunday, cutting down to of their furthest trips into one double-header. They head to Surrey on a six-game losing run. Guildford added defenseman Charlie Curti midweek, who is cleared to be in their line-up this weekend. The Flames lost two games in the final minutes last weekend and are looking to make changes after a frustrating start.
Click here to watch Flames vs. Stars
The two leading teams in Group B of the Challenge Cup meet each other for the first time this season with Belfast Giants heading to face Glasgow Clan. The teams will meet again on Sunday in Belfast as they battle for top spot in the Cup group, currently belonging to the Giants with a four-point lead. The Giants have yet to drop Cup points so far this season, and came out of Fife with a 7-0 win on Wednesday night, while Clan have won four of their last five games. Only the top team in the group is guaranteed of a place in the Semi-Finals.
Click here to watch Clan vs. Giants
Sheffield Steelers return from an excellent point picked up in Zurich in the Champions Hockey League to face Manchester Storm as part of two games on the road this weekend. They'll head to Coventry on Sunday, but not before facing the Storm for the first time this season in competitive action - Storm won a pre-season game 4-1. Manchester have lost their last three games and face a Steelers side that has yet to lose in the EIHL this season. Storm's last home win over the Steelers came in February 2023.
Click here to watch Storm vs. Steelers
If either Cardiff Devils or Nottingham Panthers are to finish second, or indeed higher, in Challenge Cup Group A then they'll probably need to leave Saturday night's game with a win. The Devils have only dropped one point through three Cup games so far, while the Panthers, although top of the group, have let three go in their seven games. The teams split a pre-season series with a road win each, but have yet to face each other in competitive action to date this season.
