Double Header vs Giants Review; 5 Key Takeaways

League Record So Far; 22 – 1 – 9, 45pts, 2nd Place

It was one for the ages and the sum of how things have been for both clubs this season in a double date with a destiny that seems all be certain in terms of league outcome.

It was very much needed for both teams, however for the visitors, glory was that much sweeter for the style of play, type of performance and overall position it has helped to cement.

Going in to this weekend of fixtures, Devils were just a point clear but had some great form, 5 from L5GP and looked to build on it. Giants however, were shaky, unconvincing and looked to need as much luck as they could.

In terms of stats, the teams were almost identical, save for the special teams. A strong PK, against a strong PP – Just what could go wrong?

1. Special Teams

It turns out that advantages were well met but for a strong PK, back to back shorties helped to add some extra salt to a wound that has festered all season for the home side.

The Devils PK took a big blow, falling to 8th overall with an abysmal 74.73% – the lowest it has been for some time, with an evident work ethic defensively to match.

Failures to clear the zone, stamp out screens and being more aggressive to kill the penalty has lead to near identical goals against on the PK, even in spite of heroics from Cox shorthanded (x2).

In both games, Devils scored shorthanded and on the PP, so the power play still sits at 2nd overall which is good, but 4 of the 6 goals scored by the home team were on the PP – against stronger teams, this would be a different weekend.

2. Points Are Stacking

The proof of good seasons individually are starting to show for some of the team, as Crawford (38) leads the way on points, Sanford (21) is 2nd overall for goals scored and Ully (33) has been steadily building up a consistent streak for quite a few games.

Assists wise, there are 3 Devils players in the top ten, with Cox (27) and Crow (36) leading the league respectively, Ully has 23 apples so far.

All of the aforementioned players have 30+ points so far in the league, next nearest being Arniel (28) who picked up 3 apples on the weekend, who has 12points in L10GP.

3. Bowns Boss, Again

Despite the PK performance allowing 66.6% of goals finding the twine, Bowns had another signature spell in net that kept his team in it and the home side honest for much of the weekend.

In the first dance, he faced 60 shots, saving 35 for a 92.11% SV night, seeing off his rival Besko and his GB back up then took over for the rest of the weekend.

The second affair saw a slightly more dialled in yet desperate Giants display, putting up 64 shots, requiring 30 saves from Bowns, for a 90.91% SV night. His GB back up was woeful in comparison, despite some decent saves, only managing 84% as his defence locked down their zone much more effectively against a dangerous team.

Bowns holds his position as 3rd best overall, with Greenfield leading the way and Weninger not far behind in second, who is unarguably the better of the two in terms of danger faced overall.

 4. They Rise, They Win

There have been many examples of character wins, performances and comebacks, so even with the 2nd dance seeing an ugly turn, that brought in 3 PPGs overall, this never diminished the focus of the team, who kept playing on, playing their game and earning a win.

It is entirely fair to say on reflection the Barrow hit wasn’t in any way, shape or form of anything that warranted a 2 minute penalty, let alone a major plus game ejection.

With that, it is equally fait to suggest without, the game score would have been a lot more favourable for the Devils and lenient on their PK%.

So even with that, how they overcame that situation was great to see, as even on the back of a 6 game winning run, they managed to keep the game in their control and ground out a very good win, extending that streak in the process.

5. Wagon Has Formed

Going into this double header, the visitors had a very comfortable blanket to push on from, so could have fallen into a complacency trap that happens quite often, amplified by the prospect of back to back games away at Belfast.

Those wins helped to mount a 7 game W run, leading into arguably one of the worst scheduling periods of the season ever decided upon, with Olympic Qualifiers being played at the same time as league and challenge cup action.

Hefty, indeed.

Nevertheless, this has helped make the Devils one of the best inform teams right now, Steelers aside, who from the L5GP, are top of the pack with them, Giants however, suffered to rock bottom in the form table following the Panthers excellent win in Coventry, win just 1 win in their L5GP.

Similar ingredients went into this clash, contrasting outcomes at the end of it. For once, more inconsistency and doubts, for the other, renewed hope and optimism, even given the challenge in front of them.

My Three Stars from the Weekend vs Giants