Preview vs Giants

League Record So Far; 14 – 3 – 0, 28pts, 1st Place

Giants roll into town this weekend for an important clash, as Devils aim to go 5 wins straight and their rivals looking to return to form after an inconsistent spell in recent weeks.

Tale of the Tape

The last time they played was in Belfast, where Giants ended up the victors in a game largely controlled by a depleted and weary road team.

This time around, as both camps have some ongoing injury related attrition, the good guys will be looking to repeat a performance they gave vs current champions and put the league firmly on notice.

The last 5GP for the Devils continues to see them at 4 – 1 – 0, however, a win against Giants will see a full house of W’s in this column. Their opponents currently sit at 3 – 1 – 1 and are desperate to get a convincing win under their belts against a strong team.

Currently, Devils hold 3rd overall in team GFA with 3.82, Giants are 4th respectfully at 3.57. The goal differential however (GD) is vastly different. Devils are +33 with their rivals two thirds shy at +11.

This is despite strong showings from their top goalie Tom McCollum. However, the main reason could be the points spread of their players.

In the EIHL top 50 points scorers, Giants have just 3 players in this group. Conway (19), Barriga (20) and Piccinich (15).

The Devils meanwhile have 7 in the top 50, with three in the top ten.

This links in with their recent point spread in previous games, with all 4 lines contributing including across the blue line.

Special Teams, Discipline

The differences in these areas really separate the teams as it paint a vivid picture of how their game management has developed as well as responsibility to their club when representing on the ice.

Devils still command the leagues best PK at 87.76%, which is great news for their killers. They take pride in this area and will look to continue this trend each game night.

Giants however, sit mid table in this department, with 79.25% on the PK. From their point of view it could be a lot better and this is where discipline factors in.

Giants currently reside at the foot of the table in terms of PIMs/Game with 13.79 average in the box per game. This is with 3 games in hand over the good guys. Despite this, it is still a concern for a high performance club, a you cannot successfully kill penalties when you are consistently in the box.

There have been instances where game ejections were given, this naturally inflates their overall record. The fact it is a common occurrence of it own, highlights lack of focus, discipline and responsibility to their team.

Devils are 4th respectively here, with their own player ejection experiences. At 9.71 PIMs/Game, they have a respectful enough average after playing the most league games to date.

It is almost roles reversed for the power play as Devils are still hit and miss currently, sitting at 7th overall with 19.61%. They have hit the marker a few times over the last stretch of games, but failed to convert on a lot of chances recently which harms the overall average.

Giants are 3rd best on the PP, with 23.81%, so if their go-too playmakers are available and on the ice, they can be a danger. They outscore Devils at 13:10 on PPG’s with Mark Cooper netting 4, currently 2nd in league overall on this stat. Giants have 6 players who have contributed on the PP so far, with Devils finding 7 different players to convert.

Zach O’Brien has contributed to 80% of the Devils power plays so far, so naturally he is the biggest threat from a Devils perspective with 2 Goals and 6 Assists.

Ones to Watch

Photo; Scott Wiggins via EIHL website for Warrior November Player of the Month

It goes without saying that the hottest player right now for the Giants is Elijiah Barriga, with 20 points in the league so far. In the past month he put up 13 points overall in the EIHL, firmly placing him above the rest, so should in all fairness collect this gong.

Since his return from a season long injury he has never looked back and was pivotal in punishing a depleted and weary Devils team late in the game at Belfast last time.

As for the Devils, the most in form player right now is Josh MacDonald, as voted by X users via my profile (@hockeysteve8719).

12 points in November with some incredible skilful goals, should have had him ear marked for the player of the month for the EIHL.

He has been steady and constant, also hitting 30 points in the EIHL overall so far, with a big weekend for points just gone. He also made the Team of the Week on the EIHL Face-Off Podcast (https://x.com/EIHLFaceOff/status/1864247720128438603) – this weeks episode will drop this Friday.

MacDonald has flown under the radar all season, with the likes of Sanford and O’Brien linking up across the board, on board EVS and PP.

MacDonald has been no stranger to it, however being on the 2nd line this is where he had operated quietly. He could easily slot in on the top line, but having almost equal strength in the top 6 adds weight to offense and with all lines firing right now, the depth speaks for itself.

He is on a 5 game points streak proper with 8 points in those games so far. Incredible work for such a skilled and faultless player.

Net Battle

This is a pretty important game, so with the team firing nicely, they wouldn’t want to let up that hard earned momentum.

With the leagues best overall GAA at 1.88, the goalies for the Devils have all put in stellar performances to lock things down their end.

The only one yet to get a shutout is still Ben Bowns. However, he currently tops the charts with his performance, posting up 94.07 SV% and 1.98 GAA personally.

His likely counterpart will be the fantastic Tom McCollum, who quietly gone about his business, to help keep his team in the hunt for vital points.

After 10GP in regular season, he has 90.91 SV% and 2.48 GAA. He also has 3 shutouts across both EIHL competitions so far, so this will be a huge and pivotal battle on the night to give their respective teams chances to win.

Both goalies have been a feature in the popular EIHL Face-Off TOTW’s, which goes to show, you know what you will get with this clash.

Injuries

There is a long list between both clubs regarding injuries. The main ones of concern for Devils fans would be Josh Batch (lower body) and Shinkaruk (potential Mandella effect, he might not even be real).

If the latter were to return, this weekend could be it, however, there is no report on his situation as yet, because last time, he was due back 2 weeks ago.

It is unknown if Gourley and Duggan are sidelined further, as both suffered some knocks on the weekend. It could all be precautionary to avoid further impacts from their knocks.

Mike Lee and Joe Cassetti are still sidelined for Giants with the team also experiencing some scrapes, bangs and knocks.