Well, a 3-2 overtime defeat at the hands of the Steelers has pretty much eliminated the Giants chances of winning the Elite League title this season. I hate to make excuses and I rarely do, but there is little doubt that injuries have been the key reason to the Giants title charge falling apart. On paper they probably have the best squad but as people always say, ‘Hockey isn’t played on paper’ and when you shake out the injuries and eventually take to the ice with such short benches throughout the key times of the season you will inevitably come up short.

That is to take nothing away from Sheffield, who now baring a monumental collapse of proportions of which we haven’t seen before, will walk away Champions. It is a testament to the coaching ability of Dave Matsos, the best coach in the league. He lead his team to the Playoff title last year and now it looks like he has taken them to the league championship. How long such an up and coming young coach remains at the British level of hockey remains to be seen.

I said going into this weekend that the Giants were in trouble with injuries. Missing four forwards on an already small squad and with no option to call up replacements the writing was on the wall. I said if they could take even a point from the weekend it would be something and so it proved to be as their overtime loss ensures they come back to Belfast with a point in the pocket.

The Giants had taken two leads in the game through Shields in the first period and later MacMillan in the second but then fell behind through two goals by the Steelers. The Giants stuck to it though and later tied the game up in the third period through Evan Cheverie only to lose out 2.35 into the overtime period when Scott Basiuk scored on the power play. Mike Burgoyne was serving a holding-the-stick penalty and upon scoring the winning goal, Giants keeper Stevie Lyle lost his cool with the referee and was ejected from the game, although since it was over it didn’t really mean anything.

The result leaves the Giants in forth place, a point behind Nottingham in second but with a game in hand over them. The Steelers are now thirteen points clear of the Giants and even with the two in hand the Giants have you cannot really see a way back for them now. 

On the subject: David Matsos, Injuries, Sheffield Steelers | ALL SUBJECTS |

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