WEEK 16 of the 2024/25 Elite Ice Hockey League season and the final games ahead of Christmas for the Flyers who meet the Belfast Giants for a home and home match up in the first of six meetings league meetings between the two teams this season.
SATURDAY DECEMBER 21st FIFE FLYERS v BELFAST GIANTS @ FIFE ICE ARENA – FACE OFF 7.15pm
Recent Form Guide
The Giants have had a number of injuries to deal with in the opening months of the season which at some points saw them ice only 13 skaters. It now appears though they are getting healthier again with a number of returnees in recent weeks leaving long term injury victim Joe Cassetti as the only continued absentee. The weekend after the Flyers and Giants last met the Belfast side embarked on a run of five road games in the league which started with a 3-2 overtime loss in Nottingham against the Panthers. The following weekend on Friday night the Giants were downed 5-2 in Glasgow before they got back on track the next night with a 5-2 win in Dundee. It was another double header away from the SSE Arena to start December as two points were collected in Cardiff following a 4-3 overtime win. The next night in Coventry the Blaze were easily brushed aside as the Giants had six different players find the net in a 6-1 win. In their 10 games on the road in the league the Giants have surrendered points in four of them.
Last League Visit from Giants
Overall Home League Record Against Giants
P 30 W 9 L 21 F 77 A 105
Number Crunching
The Giants have won on their last two visits to Fife Ice Arena which were both in this seasons Challenge Cup.
Last season in league play the Flyers secured points in each of the three meetings on home ice against the Giants.
The Giants lead the way in shot statistics so far this season, in all competitions they have the highest average for shots on goal per game of 37.81 and the lowest against of 27.74
The Giants biggest win so far this season is their 7-0 midweek success at Kirkcaldy in the Challenge Cup.
The Flyers are 9 for 14 on the penalty kill against the Giants so far this season and 2 for 8 on the power play.
The Flyers have had 92 shots on the Giants net in their four meetings so far with Belfast totalling 183 on the Flyers net
Including all shot attempts the Flyers have had 129 shots to Giants 275 shots.
SUNDAY DECEMBER 22nd BELFAST GIANTS v FIFE FLYERS @ SSE ARENA – FACE OFF 4.00pm
Recent Form Guide
On home ice since the Giants last met the Flyers in mid-November they have played five games and have been perfect. The night after their overtime loss to Fife the Giants met the Glasgow Clan and ran out comfortable 5-1 winners. The following Friday the Guildford Flames were visitors and were blanked 2-0. The Giants did not play at home again until December 11th when in a midweek tilt against the visiting Dundee Stars the ran up a 7-1 win with seven different scorers. In midweek the Coventry Blaze were at the SSE Arena and the Giants came away with a 4-1 win to extend their current winning streak to 6 games which equals their best on the season so far. The Giants are 6 and 1 on home ice so far in league play this season with Coventry the only team to so far take points from them.
Last League Visit to Giants
Overall League Away Record Against Giants
P 28 W 3 L 25 F 58 A 141
Number Crunching
The Flyers will be looking to make it back to back wins on Giants ice – something that they have only achieved once before in 2018.
Phélix Martineau has goals for the Flyers in their two visits to the SSE Arena this season.
The Giants have had six shutouts in all EIHL competitions this season which leads all teams.
3.97 goals per game for the Giants this season is second only to the Sheffield Steelers who have the most at 4.
Giants 2.19 goals conceded per game is the best of all teams across all competitions this season.
One of the two goals scored by Kyle Osterberg on the season so far came in the first meeting with the Flyers.
Mark Cooper is the all time leading scorer for the Giants against the Flyers with 16 goals. Danick Gauthier with 9 goals is the Flyers top scorer between the teams with Lucas Chiodo holding the active lead with five goals.
