Double Header Preview vs Giants

League Record So Far; 20 – 1 – 9, 41pts, 2nd Place

Devils travel to Belfast to face off against their 3rd place opponents in an eagerly anticipated clash that could set the tone for the business end of the season.

Just one point separates the teams, who have had similar fortunes during this campaign, albeit one being more stoic than the other.

Both clubs have faced some on ice adversity and roster changes, including ambitious European hockey campaigns that have seen their teams and fans travel around and take in unique and memorable experiences.

For this weekend, it will be a chance for both coaches and their players to put a marker on their season aims and use the DH as a platform to build on for a title chase that for many, seems to be unassailable at this point.

Series So Far & Form Leading In

So far in the series, the teams are tied at a win each with neither side earning a home victory, which have seen 11 goals scored, 6:5 in favour of Giants.

Devils will arrive in Belfast after going 5 from 5 in their last 5GP, so have built up some very much needed form, especially when the chips were down in some affairs, leading to comeback wins or shootout heroics.

Giants are currently, 3 – 1 – 1 in their L5GP, so have had some more inconsistency to deal with, of which isn’t foreign to their visitors.

As far as performance is concerned, the teams aren’t too dissimilar with their results scoring wise as Devils lead with 24 where as Giants have scored 20 in their last 5 game stretch. Conceded goals, Devils 12 and Giants 14.

So, just like the earlier games, it looks set to be a close contest in The SSE Arena. However, anything can happen in these double headers, as we have witnessed bizarre calls with laptops, bench door insecurities and goalie masks taking the brunt of poor decisions.

Special Teams & Discipline

The special teams have had varying seasons, for instance in the last few weeks the Devils PK went from league leading to 6th overall with 76.83%. Giants have improved their PK to 3rd place at 81.25%.

The power play is the carbon opposite for both teams, much to the delight to Devils fans and the exclamation point on the Giants team efforts so far for theirs. Devils are second on the PP with 26.09%, whilst the hosts are 8th at 18.09%.

This will be important as both teams are nearly the worst performers for discipline, with PIM/G Averages at 10.47 (D) and 11.81 (G) respectively. This could be from natural ill discipline or being victims of questionable officiating, nevertheless, this will be a focus for both teams to stay out of the box.

Giants have had to kill more penalties than going on the man advantage so far, making the battle of the special teams a niche focus for this weekend.

Between The Pipes

Devils’ Ben Bowns has been a top 3 feature for best goalies all season long, even though the league highlight Jackson Whistle, while only playing 6 times in the league so far, hardly makes a comparable notion to GB’s number one stopper.

Bowns (22GP) currently has a 2.52 GAA and a SV% of 92.47. He has been a stalwart at the back and is having one of his best seasons as a Devil.

Besko (26GP), who had a minor and very unsuccessful stint in net during the 2023 Spengler Cup for Canada, currently boasts a GAA of 2.47 but a SV% of 90.15.

The GAA in the L5GP is just as close, with 2.4 for the visitors and 2.8 for the home team, so this is as close as it will get between competing net minders, so hopefully both will feature in the contest over the weekend.

Ones to Watch

Only two players for the Devils are +30 on points in regular season so far, being Crawford (35) and Ully (30). Between them they share 56 helpers so far, making the cider production a real competitive edge in their squad, as Cox (26A) has been the primary go-to guy for assists since he joined.

Cox (29) is level on points with Sanford so far, though the latter has been on a tear since finding his scoring form, missing only a few games in this time.

Both players have been moved about the deck to try new combinations and lines, showing the coach has more than just plan A, each time being a positive outcome, as the duo are well known by now.

Sanford leads his team with 18 goals so far, joint 3rd in the league, so expect him to be a workhorse out there as he tries to get his team going.

Another Devil to watch out for would be the enigmatic Justin Crandall (20) who has had 8 points from last 9 games in all competitions and has become a force to be reckoned with for the organisation, earning leadership stripes as well as commanding respect on and off the ice.

Featuring on all forwards lines and playing on D so far this campaign, his leadership, demands and expectations on his team mates will be a massive factor for the team this weekend, much needed as Giants welcomed back former captain, David Goodwin earlier in January, making an asserted impact already.

Goodwin since returning seems to have steadied a ship that was going through turbulent waters, however production across the squad is pretty low. Four players are currently tied on top points at 22, making the loss of their devastating top line from last season, all the more evident.

Just how they have been able to crawl up to third shows how contested this league is, even with the top spot gradually puling away week by week. This is a true top table battle that will go hand in hand to decide the fate of the EIHL title in a couple months time.