It ain’t often an Elite League fixture between two teams into November is the first clash between them teams of the season so far. It’s the case tomorrow night when Sheffield come to Belfast. It’s the first time the teams have met this season and the only opponant the Giants have yet to play this year. If they are to continue their rise up the EIHL standings they will have to beat a solid Sheffield team that is still in championship contention.

Sitting in third place just four points back from leaders Coventry the Steelers have played three extra games than the impressive Blaze but theres a long way to go and they will be hoping to take advantage of whats been a struggling Giants team this season. It’s probably the first time ever they will have faced such a vunerable Giants team.

The Giants will disagree however. Maybe the Steelers first meet with the Giants has came to late and if they wanted easy points they should have shown up a month earlier as the Giants are now a team on the up and up.

One month ago the Giants sat bottom of the Elite League, Courtenay was only threatening changes and injuries were only things that happened to Roman Gavalier.

It’s been all change since as the Giants revival continues into tomorrow night.

That injury crisis is expected to ease slightly at the weekend. At least we hope. Talk in the local papers this week were suggesting top goal scorer Scott Cameron is ready to return as is versitile forward/defenseman Mark Dutiaume. With both them in the line-up the Giants could start the game with a slightly more respectable 14-skaters.

With the return of Cameron to fill out the forward lines it should mean a return for Morrison and Christie from spot dutie into a regular shift with Jamieson likely to move down onto their wing even after his impressive displays on a line with Courtenay.

The other option may be running Cameron down on the third line if he is not yet 100% and using him on powerplays. Another possible line switch that might help would be placing Awada alongside Courtenay to kickstart his season. Awada has been struggling in front of goal this year but as we’ve already seen, anyone playing with Courtenay gets goals.

Lines projected to look as follows:

Awada - Campbell - Courtenay
Lewis - Cameron - Sutter
Christie - Jamieson - Morrison

Kelman - Johnson
Neumeier - Dutiaume
Walton

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