WEEK 14 of the 2023/24 Elite Ice Hockey League season and the Flyers and Giants meet in back to back games. The Flyers travel to Belfast on Friday night whilst the two teams will go at it again on Saturday night in Kirkcaldy.
FRIDAY DECEMBER 22nd v BELFAST GIANTS @ SSE ARENA – FACE OFF 7.00pm
Recent Form Guide
It’s over two months now since we last met the Giants and it’s fair to say that the fortunes of those dressed in teal over that time has varied. We will have played our first league match of the season in Belfast last night with this being the Giants second visit of the season to Kirkcaldy. Since that shootout win the Giants who were putting together a season high ten game winning streak followed up with another road victory with a 5-3 scoreline in Coventry. A somewhat surprising 6-3 reverse in Dundee was followed by a home reverse by the Guildford Flames. A convincing win in Manchester saw the Giants return home and once again cough up the points this time to the Cardiff Devils. This was the start of a run of four games without a win with the next three on the road and defeats at Guildford, Sheffield and Manchester. The team were mired in injuries and after bringing in reinforcements they returned to home ice and a confidence boosting 5-1 win over the Glasgow Clan. A 4-2 win in Nottingham looked like it had heralded a return to form but they then lost the next two with a 3-1 defeat in Glasgow followed with another home loss and a shutout no less to the Sheffield Steelers. Panthers were defeated 4-3 at the SSE Arena before a loss in overtime to Coventry. Last weekend the Giants had a home double header against the Manchester Storm and picked up four points in two incredibly tight games with the second being decided in a shootout. In midweek the Giants played the second leg of their Challenge Cup quarter final against the Coventry Blaze. The tie was finely poised after the first leg in Coventry which ended 1-1 and the Blaze came into the game unbeaten in their last eight matches with the Flyers the last team to beat them in mid-November. Giants held a 4-0 lead at one stage on the night before three late goals tied the game and tie on aggregate. The Blaze progressed to the semi finals with a shootout win.
Last League Visit to Giants
Overall Elite League Away Record Against Giants
P 25 W 2 L 23 F 48 A 126
Number Crunching
The Giants have now gone 24 consecutive games without defeat in all EIHL competitions against the Flyers.
On home ice the Giants have won their last 16 meetings against Fife who last won in the league at the SSE Arena on 17th March 2018 when a double from Charlie Mosey along with goals from Shayne Stockton, Peter LeBlanc and Carlo Finucci gave them a 5-2 success – that was 11 games ago.
Looking at the goal differential of the teams across all EIHL competitions this season: Giants are a +8 in period one a -1 in period two and +10 in period three. Flyers are -15 in the first a -8 in the second and -1 in the third period.
SATURDAY DECEMBER 23rd v BELFAST GIANTS @ FIFE ICE ARENA – FACE OFF 7.15pm
Last League Visit from Giants
Overall Elite League Home Record Against Giants
P 28 W 8 L 20 F 71 A 99
Number Crunching
The Flyers will be looking for their first win in 13 games in all EIHL competitions against the Giants on home ice.
Flyers have lost the last eight at home in league play to the Giants, with three of those games going beyond regulation time. Their last win at the Auld Barn was 30th November 2019 with Tim Crowder, Danick Gauthier, Kyle Just and a double from Carlo Finucci securing the 5-1 win.
