There were two more positions to be filled and on Tuesday the Giants did just that. They brought back stalwart George Awada for a fifth season and new boy Malcolm Macmillan. It means the Giants have done the unthinkable and completed their entire roster for the coming season before the end of July. It means for the first time ever Giants fans can head off to the sunshine on their holidays knowing exactly what kinda team they are coming home too. The final signings also confirm that just six players who finished the season with the Giants last term will be returning this year, and that includes now third string goalie Adam Cree. MORE »

The Giants found their winning grove this weekend on the road with two victories over Basingstoke on Saturday and Manchester on Sunday. It will hopefully tone down the fears of some that the team were on the verge of a collapse with news finally breaking of Ed Courtenay leaving the team at the end of the season. As I believed this has not effected performances and the team proved it this weekend. Ed Courtenay called out some of his players in the press last week and it appears also to have done the trick.

Players like George Awada who have struggled in front of goal all season came good with a pair of goals on Sunday night to add to the one he scored on Saturday. That will please the fans to see their captain stepping it up on the score sheet as the playoff roll round.

The Giants will remain on the road next weekend with a Saturday night game in Nottingham before returning home for three home games.

In tonight’s 6-2 win against the Nottingham Panthers, captain George Awada picked up a hat trick and his 99th, 100th and 101st goals as a Giant.  The 100th goal tied him with Jason Ruff for the franchise lead and the 101st stood him alone as the top all-time Giants goal scorer.

‘Atta boy George

The Giants have just beat the Panthers 6-2 tonight giving them their 13th win in a row, continuing the record, and almost as impressive, 34 goals in just 6 games.  That’s an average of 5.67 goals per game over that span for a team who in the first half of the season were averaging just over two per game.  Another incredible feat is that the scoring over the past two games - twelve goals in all - has come without the help of Ed Courtenay on either goals or assists.  Remarkable considering the amount of helpers Ed has had this season, but proving the depth of the Giants team.  Ed Courtenay who took a heavy hit last night used himself sparingly throughout the game leaving it to Captain George Awada to pick up a hat trick and to become the Giants all-time leading goal-scorer.

Awada who has struggled in front of goal this season may well have got the spark he needed to kick-start his season on picking up the hat-trick and the scoring record.  It’s his first three goal game of the season and third of his Giants career.

The game also included another fight.  By all accounts from the game, Ryan Shymr of the Panthers was trying to intimidate an already banged up Ed Courtenay.  Carlyle Lewis didn’t appreciate it and dropped the gloves with Shmyr and give him a good hiding.  It’s Lewis’ fifth fight in four games and the third in row done in the name of protecting his coach.

The win keeps the Giants in second place and keeps the pressure on the Coventry Blaze.