Saturday: Full schedule to start final stretch of season
Photo: Dean Woolley
It's a full schedule of games on Saturday night in Week 25 of the 2024/25 Elite Ice Hockey League season, as the race for the league title and playoff paces cranks up a notch.
Part II of the Belfast Giants vs. Cardiff Devils double-header comes exactly 24 hours after Friday night. Game 1 went the way of the hosts, moving the Giants back six points clear at the top of the table and keeping their 100% record against the Devils alive. 13 points off top spot, the Devils have no option but to win tonight and probably go almost perfect until the end of the season if they want a shot at the league title.
Click here to watch Giants vs. Devils
Dundee Stars head into the weekend nine points clear in a playoff place and having only played two games more than Manchester Storm chasing below them. The Stars begin their final 14 games of the season with the visit of Guildford Flames, who may have ended Nottingham Panthers' shot at the league title with a midweek win at the Motorpoint Arena. The teams have two wins each from their four meetings so far this season, with the Flames having a regulation win home and away, and the Stars with a shootout an overtime win for themselves. Guildford's midweek win put them two points off the top five as they look to finish the season as high as possible ahead of the playoffs.
Click here to watch Stars vs. Flames
With six straight wins under their belts, Glasgow Clan host Coventry Blaze at Braehead Arena. Clan have opened up a 12-point gap on falling out of the playoffs with 16 games to go, and are within four points of the top six. Coventry have lost their last two games and are at risk of being caught in fifth by Guildford who are just two points behind. The Blaze, who have 14 games left to play this season, are also only three points off the top four. Clan have picked ip 27 points out of a possible 38 at home - the fourth-best record in the Elite League.
Click here to watch Clan vs. Blaze
Ninth-placed Manchester Storm face basement team Fife Flyers in a crucial game for the hosts. Manchester are nine points off the playoffs with two games in hand - and 16 to go in total. They'll need to win both of those, and then three more games than Dundee over their final 14 games of the season thereafter. Dropping points to the team in last place would make their situation all the more harder. Fife came from behind to beat the Storm for their last league win in mid-January. They head into this weekend 18 points off the playoff with 16 games to go.
Click here to watch Storm vs. Flyers
It's a huge game at the Utilita Arena with the Steelers hosting the Panthers. These games usually need very little introduction, but with the teams in second and third in the league, it comes with a lot more added pressure than in previous seasons. Sheffield moved to within four points of league leaders Belfast on Wednesday night, while the Panthers midweek defeat left them a further three back of the Steelers. Including tonight, both teams have 15 games to go - and depending on results elsewhere, this game may well decide who enters the final 14 games still very much in the title race.
