. . . But they go down fighting.

I was overly critical of this team after periods one and two last night in Dundalk but with a third period effort to get back into the tie I decided to hold back on serious criticism until I seen how they performed over the next two periods.  Well ‘heard’ how they performed is what I should have said.  As it turns out the Giants performed well and did themselves proud in an effort to fight back into the tie.

Had this team been a top of the table team all season long I still would have been seriously disappointed but it has been such an up and down season with many downs and plenty of highs and a conclusion that when summing everything up that we were just a middle of the road team and not quite good enough to get it done.  With all that in mind I’m not overly angry that we failed to squeak into the playoffs past a physical and well-drilled Vipers side.  MORE »

Here’s hoping the team can improve on last night, carry their third period momentum into tonight, treat it like a no lose situation (which might suit us better) and give me something to be excited for next week other than just the beer!!

For in depth game updates have a look at the KotG in game updates service.

Friday Night:
Sheffield 5 Mancheter 4

Saturday Night:
Edinburgh 0 Coventry 1
Nottingham 3 Cardiff 4
Belfast 3 Newcastle 5

On Tap for tonight:

Manchester v Sheffield, 5:30 p.m.
Newcastle v Belfast, 5:30 p.m.
Cardiff v Nottingham, 6 p.m.
Coventry v Edinburgh, 6 p.m.

What is it with computers and technology failing you when you need it the most?  I pay a high monthly fee for this dammed laptop and when I want to get a game report out all I want is for the bloody thing to work.  Thankyou Toshiba and the internet - The game report that I spent about 30 minutes angerly putting together frooze up on me and I failed to get it online.

So without further ado I let you know that I wont be producing one.  I have not go the time nor the patience to go through that again!  That is probably a good thing however.  I didn’t want to go too indepth about my true feelings last night when afterall it was only ‘half-time’ in the series and thanks to a good third period after two terrible periods the Giants have gave themselves some hope for tomorrow night.

I will touch on a few things that stood out for me however.  MORE »

It’s commeth the hour commeth the man time and all that kind of talk.  Yes this is the playoffs - the pinacle of a hockey season even if the British playoffs do only last 4 games.  This is where you want your big players and the guys who know how to play in this kind of situation.  It’s a two legged affair and the Giants with the first home game will be looking for a big result to carry into Newcastle the following night. MORE »

We all know that our coach Ed Courtney will bow out at the end of the season and leave the Giants for pastures new. The upcoming games (at least two, at the most four) will be the last of Courtenay’s professional career and he is looking to leave the sport a winner.

Courtenay’s career is a storied one. He has came through the junior systems, worked his way up to the NHL and seen everything there is to see in the minor league circuit. That trail took him to the British Super league, back to America and finally to the Giants where he will make his final stand as a player over the next week. MORE »

Regular season that is.  Yep thats eight seasons down now and just a playoff run to go.  In them eight seasons the Giants have two league wins, three second places, a sixth place and now two forth place finishes.  The Giants wrapped up the last regular season with a win and in that hopefully the momentum they will need going into their playoff match up with Newcastle.

It has certainly been an up and down year for the Giants and not one I need to spend great time reminding everyone about.  From a terrible start that seen them in last place after the first month and needing a number of player changes to a sixteen game winning streek that seen them climb right the way to first place to a stuttering finish to the year that seen them slide back to forth.  With all them up and down’s nobody knows what to expect from the playoff run.  Which Giants team will show up.  That’s the question on ever Giants fans mind right now. MORE »

After two defeats in a row the Giants are looking to get back on track in time for the playoffs starting tonight against second place league finishers Sheffield. With Dave Matsos behind the bench for Sheffield - the man the Giants are aparantely targeting for their new coach next season it’ll be a great chance for the Giants players to put themselves in the shop window for Matsos should he end up in Belfast. If anything else it’ll be just good to see the Giants try to find some form. MORE »

One look at the standings will tell you that Coventry are now champions and the Giants are in a uninteresting battle for 3rd and 4th place with Nottingham. However if you cast your eyes further down you may be surprised to see the Edinburgh Capitals in 6th place. Its been quite a turn around for the team that for a long time in the season occupied the last place spot in the league. For so long it seemed Basingstoke were a lock for the 6th place spot but a new found team spirit in Edinburgh has turned the fortunes around and the Scottish team look on pace to claim a playoff spot. MORE »

You don’t need to have to think back far to remember the Giants season without Stevie Lyle. It was only about 42 games ago and the Giants season was in turmoil and changes needed to be made. Ed Courtenay went out and brought in Stevie Lyle to tighten up the goals and at the same time picked up Pete Campbell to add to the scoring. It turned the Giants fortunes 180 as the team started to win games and climb up the table. MORE »

So after a terrible start to the year and a 16-game winning streak that pulled them from bottom to top, the Giants have gone back into free fall of late. A new losing streak has seen the boys slide down to forth place thanks to a huge Panthers win against the Bison last night. The Giants are now set to finish outside the top two places in the league for only the third time in their eight year history. The last time they finished forth was under Rob Stewart back in 2003-2004 - The first year of the Elite League - and Stewart duly lost his job. MORE »

A big win or a predictable win over the Belfast Giants on Sunday night - call it what you will - sealed the Elite League title for the Coventry Blaze for a second year running. Definitely hard to swallow for the Giants fans who certainly have a bit of a rivalry with Coventry and also because it was their defeat to the Blaze that confirmed their position as Britain’s best team. Coventry have lead the league from start to finish and made everyone comfortably second best. All the Giants can do - bar looking to the playoffs - is to look to competing from the off next season.

So as it turns out this was the final Giants game of the year in the Odyssey Arena. Unfortunately the Giants could not send the biggest crowd of the year - a sellout crowd - home with the victory. The Nottingham Panthers took the win. With the league long gone this game was a squabble over playoff match-up positioning and with every opponent set to be a tough one if you’d offered me the two points or the two fight wins, I think on this occassions I’d take the fights!! Thankfully Lewis and Moran did the job with their fists and at least sent the fans home with something to talk about.

What is it with the Giants and not playing well in front of a big crowd.

Still, it was nice to see such a huge crowd to end another season of hockey in Belfast.

Once again Todd goes out of his way to respond to our worries and fears about Dundalk and the playoffs. Cant say I’m not still angry about it but I guess my anger has turned more to the Elite League and even more so the Odyssey Arena but I’ll rant on that a little later.

Let’s just go straight for the bone on this one. The Giants are playing their one and only (that’s a rant for another day) ‘home’ playoff game ‘away’ in Dundalk. Is this thanks to the Elite League or is this a mess up in scheduling by the Belfast Giants? Who cares? Either way the loyal fans of the Belfast Giants are being expected to travel 60-miles across the border to watch what in hockey is supposed to be the most important game of their season.

Yep, the Giants won’t be holding that big playoff game in a packed Odyssey but in the 1,500 seated Dundalk Ice Dome. The Giants have already played four regular season games in Dundalk this season and will now also play the final home game and their big playoff qualifier in Dundalk. MORE »