Looks like Mike Minard is done for the year.  The goalie who helped lead the Giants to the league title last season has had his fair share of struggles this year and it started rumours throughout the fans that it could be down to a long standing injury.  The teams line is that the injury was picked up in Edinburgh on Sunday night but many will feel the injury is something that’s been lingering for a while now.  At the end of the day, you dont go from being one of the leagues best to letting in 5 and 6 goals a game.  Whether Mini will be back next year remains to be seen, but should he get healthy and fighting fit then few will argue against looking to re-signing him.  Cheers Mini!!

As for Mini’s replacement, that comes in the form of  Phillippe DeRouville who has just finished his season in Italy with his team being knocked out of the playoffs.  DeRouville played as a team-mate with Ed Courtenay in 2000-01 at the Ayr Scottish Eagles.  He was a 5th round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins and played three games in the show.  All being well he should ice tomorrow night in Manchester.

You’re welcome Phillippe, hopefully you can help us turn things around.  Now just to hurry up and get Huppe back on the ice.

Capitals 3, Giants 2

If losing isn’t bad enough the Giants threw away a two goals lead against the lowly Edinburgh Capitals on Sunday night.  It leaves the Giants as the most out of form team in the Elite League and sliding down the league at a rapid pace.  The Giants took a two goals lead through Jeff Hutchins who grabbed his 26th and 27th goals of the season, one of the only bright spots when it comes to getting goals for the Giants this season and of late.  The other goes by the name of Curtis Huppe who was sitting at home in Belfast.  His replacement and coach Ed Courtenay was good for two assists however while Jason Ruff also picked up two points as that forward line looked to have clicked early on.  Unfortunately things dried up after fifteen minutes and it was Edinburgh who did all the scoring from there on in.

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Panthers 6, Giants 3

Although Ed Courtenay managed an assist in his first game of the season it wasn’t enough to stop yet another hiding for the Giants as Nottingham where the latest team in line to dish it out to them this week, beating them 6-3.  Curtis Huppe was indeed the man replaced by Ed Courtenay but theres been no word from the Giants on what the reason was for Huppe being replaced.  Clearly he was not the man needing replaced it it where not because of injury and yet again the Giants struggled to come together as a team dropping them to third in the league.

Giants goals came from Awada, Dutiaume and Ruff while Shawn Skiehar dropped the gloves with Ryan Shmyr in the third period.  The Giants travel north of the border to Scotland to take on the Edinburgh Capitals tonight, but a team once considered to be an easy two points, will really feel they can take on the Giants and beat them.  Nobody would argue against right now.

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BelfastGiants.com — The Coors Belfast Giants Head Coach Ed Courtenay announced today that he will be registering himself to play for the weekend’s two away matches against the Nottingham Panthers and Edinburgh Capitals. Courtenay is still deciding which player to deregister as there are a couple of players that are awaiting x-rays and medical clearance to play. A player, once de-registered, has to sit out 6 games which would give an injured player 3 weeks to rest and would have them back in the line-up for the home match on March 9th against the Newcastle Vipers. At that point whether Courtenay takes himself out of the line-up or decides to sit out a player remains to be seen. The recent dip in form for the Coors Giants had Courtenay threatening changes in the roster and with a couple of players nursing injuries he has taken this opportunity to possibly add an offensive spark that has been lacking as of late.

“Offensively we have been struggling as of late but besides the Coventry and Hull games, our form defensively has been fine,” said Courtenay, “I still have confidence in this team.”

“It will take me a couple of games to feel fit on the ice again but I have been training with the team most of the season in case something like this came up.”

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There has been hot rumours of late that the guy to be replaced would be Curtis Huppe who must be carrying an injury and who just a few days ago became a father for the first time to his Belfast wife.  It would be a real knock for an already struggling team to lose a guy like Curtis Huppe for six games, a guy who’s at least been able to put the puck in the net even during the goal slump of late.

More to follow…

Steelers 3, Giants 1 

One goal from forty-two shots tonight, three goals from 112 shots over the last three games while the oppsition hit us for 18 goals in 92 shots for a .804 save percentage.  Can it get any worse? 

Roman Gavalier, rumoured to be playing with up to thirty stitches in his face after taking a puck there last night picked up the Giants man-of-the-match award in what was another defeat for the crumbling team.  Gavalier to many is the only man showing up night in night out for the team, while others blow hot and cold depending on the game and others just, well, blow.

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