WEEK 24 of the 2024/25 Elite Ice Hockey League season and the Flyers have a Valentine’s Day meeting over the Irish Sea with the Belfast Giants before returning home to meet the Cardiff Devils two days later.
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 14th BELFAST GIANTS v FIFE FLYERS @ SSE ARENA – FACE OFF 7.00pm
Recent Form Guide
The Flyers play their first league game of the season at the SSE against the Giants who they last met just two weeks ago in Kirkcaldy. Following their success in Fife the Giants travelled up the road to play the Dundee Stars the following evening and had their 8 game unbeaten run snapped when the home side ran out 3-1 winners. Last week the Giants were on home ice for both of their games. Firstly they were taken all the way by the Guildford Flames who squandered a two goal lead going into the third period before the Giants turned the game around and eventually took both points in a shootout win. The next night the Manchester Storm were behind by three goals going into the final period as the home side ran out 3-1 winners to maintain their healthy 8 point lead at the top of the standings. Before hosting the Flyers the Giants welcomed the Nottingham Panthers to Belfast on Wednesday evening for the first leg of their semi-final Challenge Cup match up and shut the Panthers out 3-0.
Last League Visit to Giants
Overall Away League Record Against Giants
P 28 W 3 L 25 F 58 A 141
Number Crunching
The Flyers won on their last visit to the SSE and will be looking to equal their best winning sequence of 2 games on Giants home ice which was achieved in 2018.
JJ Piccinich is the Giants top scorer against the Flyers this season with 5 goals whilst Phélix Martineau leads the way for the Flyers in these games with 3 goals.
16 different Giants have found the net against the Flyers this season with 10 different Flyers finding the net in the six games played so far.
The Giants are the only team who have yet to be shut out this season in all EIHL competitions.
The Giants have the shortest winless streaks of all teams at two games across all competitions this season.
The Giants average the most shots on goal per game across all competitions so far this term at 40.27 per game which compares to 25.85 for the Flyers average.
Only the Steelers have a better average goals scored per game than the Giants who have the lowest average goals conceded per game.
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 16th FIFE FLYERS v CARDIFF DEVILS @ FIFE ICE ARENA – FACE OFF 5.15pm
Recent Form Guide
The teams last met in late November as the Devils were due to visit a few weeks ago with the game being postponed due to Storm damage at Fife Ice Arena. Following their win over Fife the then league leaders hosted Sheffield the following midweek and recorded a convincing 6-3 win after scoring the first 6 goals. On Saturday it was another half dozen for the Devils as they shut out the Storm in Manchester before next night defeating the visiting Guildford Flames 4-1. The Devils then hit a three game skid where they picked up two points in home losses beyond regulation against the Giants and Storm and also lost in Nottingham. A 5-2 win in Dundee was followed by a thumping 5-1 win at the Vindico Arena against the Sheffield Steelers before Christmas. On Boxing day the Devils went downed 5-2 in Coventry before ending the year with a pair of home wins, 3-2 against Blaze and 5-1 against the Flames. Guildford exacted revenge on New Years day with a 5-3 win in Surrey and then at weekend the Devils were stunned as Dundee Stars left with both points in a 4-2 win in Cardiff Bay. At home again the following night the Panthers were downed 3-2 before Cardiff eked out a couple of one goal wins in Glasgow and Manchester. The Devils were then in Continental Cup with success on home ice to lift the silverware. Injuries then started to bite and over the last few weeks the Devils have been short benched. Returning to domestic action the now league leading Giants win 4-1 on Cardiff ice. The in form Panthers won 3-2 at the Vindico to open February and the following night the Devils were blanked 3-0 in Sheffield. Another home defeat followed as the Coventry Blaze left with the points in a 5-3 win before the 4 game losing run in the league was arrested last Sunday with a 3-1 win in Guildford. In midweek the Devils hosted the Steelers in the second leg of their Challenge Cup semi 5-3 down from the first game. The Devils turned it around with a 4-1 win to advance to the final. The Devils host the Manchester Storm on the Saturday night before they head north to Kirkcaldy.
Last League Visit from Devils
Overall League Home Record Against Devils
P 31 W 9 L 22 F 80 A 111
Number Crunching
The Flyers are on a three game home losing streak against the Devils who have also won the last three consecutive games against the Flyers.
9 different Devils have found the net against the Flyers this season with 6 different Flyers finding the net in those three games.
Cole Sanford and Zach O’Brien with 3 goals each have top scored for the Devils who have scored five in each of the three games against the Flyers. Lucas Chiodo has a couple of goals in those games for the Flyers.
The Devils average the third most shots on goal per game across all competitions so far this term at 35.52
The Devils have been involved in the fewest games to go beyond regulation and have lost all three – they are the only team yet to win a game beyond regulation.
The Devils have most goals (115) from forwards at even strength of all teams in all EIHL competitions this season.
