WEEK 11 of the 2024/25 Elite Ice Hockey League season and the Flyers will start with a Challenge Cup game on the road on Saturday before looking to secure league points on home ice on Sunday.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 16th BELFAST GIANTS v FIFE FLYERS @ SSE ARENA – FACE OFF 7.00pm
Recent Form Guide
The Flyers travel for the second time in a fortnight to the SSE where thy will meet the Giants in their penultimate Group B Challenge Cup game. There is nothing at stake for the Flyers who of course have been eliminated and whilst the Giants are confirmed as winners of the qualification section they could also still go on to secure the top seeded place overall which would give them home ice advantage should they make it all the way to the final. Following the Flyers last visit the Giants hosted the Dundee Stars the next night and bagged another two Cup points in a single goal shut out. Last weekend the Giants had just a single game when they travelled to Sheffield in the league and despite taking the lead the Steelers would eventually come back to win 5-2. In midweek the Giants were in Cup action again playing their rearranged meeting in Glasgow where they downed the Clan 3-1. The Giants will again travel to Glasgow on Sunday after their meeting with the Flyers as they seek league points at the Braehead Arena.
Last Challenge Cup Visit to Giants
Overall Away Challenge Cup Record Against Giants
P 16 W 2 L 14 F 34 A 79
Number Crunching
The Flyers are looking for their first success against the Giants this season who are 3 an 0 against them and have outscored Fife 16-5.
Of all the teams that the Flyers have met on the road in Challenge Cup action the Giants hold the best winning percentage against them at 87.5
The Flyers have lost their last 6 games at the SSE in the Challenge Cup stretching back to 23rd September 2018 when they won 4-2.
The Giants lead all teams in shutouts having so far recorded four – the Flyers along with the Storm and Steelers have yet to record a shutout this season.
It is the meeting of the second highest scoring team with the Giants average of 4.05 goals per game so far this season in all EIHL competitions and the lowest scoring team with Flyers average at 2.33.
The Giants also have the second lowest goals against average at 2.42 whilst the Flyers are last with an average of 4.81 and are one of two teams whose average is over 4 goals per game.
The best shots per game average at 36.68 belongs to the Giants so far this season across all EIHL competitions and they have the second lowest shots against at 27.84. Only Manchester have a lower shots on goal average than the Flyers who sit last for shots against at an average of 42.19 per game.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 17th FIFE FLYERS v SHEFFIELD STEELERS @ FIFE ICE ARENA – FACE OFF 5.15pm
Recent Form Guide
This is the second meeting between the teams this season in league play with the Steelers taking the decision in a midweek encounter in Yorkshire at the end of October. The following weekend the Steelers started with a 5-3 win on home ice against the Manchester Storm in the Challenge Cup before heading to Wales on the Sunday where the Devils scored a similar sized victory over the Steelers again for Cup points. Last weekend saw the Steelers in league action on both nights starting with a rivalry game against the Nottingham Panthers in the Lace City which yielded two points in a 4-2 win. The next night at the Utilita Arena the Steelers came out on top as mentioned above against the visiting Belfast Giants. In midweek Sheffield kicked off their last 16 Champions Hockey League campaign on home ice against Eisbären Berlin who skated to a 5-3 win to take into the second leg in Germany next midweek. Before heading to Fife this weekend the Steelers will host the Coventry Blaze on Saturday night in Challenge Cup action.
Last League Visit from Steelers
Overall League Home Record Against Steelers
P 30 W 8 L 22 F 71 A 111
Number Crunching
The Steelers have won on their last two visits to Fife Ice Arena in all EIHL competitions.
Mikko Juusola has a three game goal streak going against the Flyers.
Off all active teams the Flyers have a home ice points percentage all-time in EIHL league play of 31.7 against the Steelers which is the least across all teams.
The Steelers are top scorers across all EIHL competitions this season with an average of 4.24 goals per game.
Steelers also lead all teams for shots given up at 26.53 per game.
Steelers have netted five empty net goals which leads all teams.
