After falling behind to an early Cardiff goal the Giants struck back with three straight goals and by the time the first period was half-done the Giants had a comfortable lead. The goals came from Colin Shields (2) and Mike Burgoyne and it proved to be the final scoring of the contest until a late empty net goal by Paul Deniset to seal the deal.

In the first leg a few nights ago in Dondonald it was Mike Burgoyne who was in fine form grabbing a pair of goals to put the Giants 2-1 ahead going into the third period. The game was soon level before Bobby Robins grabbed what looked to be a winner before the Devils came back with another tying goal setting up last nights contest as a ‘winner-takes-it-all’ match.

As I write this the Giants are in more cup action taking on Manchester in the first leg of the Challenge Cup Final. The Giants have never won this trophy and have only made the final on one occasion in a game against Ayr that everyone wants to forget.

Unfortunately I came down with a serious bug on arrival in the country from Canada and it never cleared up for either game. It meant I couldn’t drink the arena’s dodgy Harp with my usual reckless abandon but when I see the latest price increases I was thankful my health was keeping me clear of it. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that concessions have shot up in price for an 9th straight year and it would be nice to see the price list from 2000-2001 to draw comparisons. Indeed, as oil and property prices continue to fall around the world the economy can rest in peace knowing the Odyssey Arena’s concession prices are balancing things out.

Anyway, on the ice was the real reason we all turned out, right? Well the crowd was good and healthy as the Giants bottom line always requires it to be over the Christmas period. They were in good voice also despite the performances they got from the players who at times looked to be still digesting their Christmas Turkey’s.

Specifically the game against Sheffield. That was a standout game for Turkey hangovers. Of course it must be remembered the team were playing their third game in four nights and withinjuries to boot both by players missing and those playing with, a slow down in the second and third periods was to be expected. The Giants really should have had the game done by the end of the first twenty minutes but they couldn’t convert their many chances and were left to pay for it the final two thirds of the game as the Steelers ran away with the victory.

When I wasn’t spending my time complaining that my Chicken burger meal cost almost half the price of my game ticket, I was watching the new players to the team to put faces to the names I had been reading and writing about the last 4 months. I wanted to see who was who, who played like who and did these people live up to the billing. Unfortunately with the team playing a shadow of the game it did in the opening months I did not get to see the out and out team displays that those around me had been enjoying for the early parts of the season. Robins looked to be struggling from his earlier season injury still while MacMillan was finally showing his worth over the two games.

The most consistent of the two games was Burgoyne who skated with poise and had a keen ability to jump into the rush at the right time. The same couldn’t be said about his fellow defensive newcomer Tyler Howells. While his performance against Sheffield was dire, it can be put down to a simple bad game. Praise for the guy has been high and wide ranging from enough sources that my faith in him as a solid fixture on the Giants blue line was not tested when he coughed up the puck to allow Sheffield to score.

Steve Thornton was back on the ice for the Sheffield game. He had an idiotic suspension thrown at him by the monkeys in charge of the league prior to the Edinburgh game but was clear to play by the time the Steelers came into town. What I enjoyed was looking at Steve Thornton and thinking about the last time I seen him play; it was against the London Knights in Nottingham during the final of the playoffs when the Giants took a 4-2 victory to win their one and only playoff title to date.

Quite a few players went right under the radar and not always for the good. There were players I had come with an excitement of seeing standing out and putting on a display who left me trying to remember if they had even been in the line-up over the two days. Maybe it was my flu.

Not to worry though, over the two games I definitely seen reason to be excited as a fan. The Giants might not be a world beater but with a healthy team if they do find some form there is no reason to suggest they cant win some kind of silverware this season.

That is enough for now. I need to go take some cough medicine and get ready for new years celebrations.

It was nice being back in the Odyssey and seeing a few of the old faces about the place. It was good to hear the Odyssey atmosphere which is unfortunately lacking from many of the North American rinks (or the few that I have actually been to). It was good to finally see for myself the Giants pre-game entertainment show that everyone has been ranting about and of course good to see the beer prices have continued to spiral upwards at an alarming rate by the season.

The most enjoyable part of the night though was the performances of Malcolm MacMillan and Mike Burgoyne on the ice. MacMillan had the gloves off within the first five seconds and as a fan of players who play the game well but tough I was instantly won over. When he added an assist and later a goal to the scoresheet I was sold on him. He was tireless to the end, battling hard and playing every shift like it was his last. His numbers have been good this season and he really looks like a true Giants player to the core.

Burgoyne reminded me of Todd Kelman in his hayday, solid at the back, good on his skates and a great timing of when to jump into the rush. Burgoyne has put up a lot of points this season from the blue-line and now it is clear to see why. The guy has an incredible turn of speed shown on one occassion when he burst clear of two Capitals defencemen to latch onto a breakway attempt. Considering the Capitals defencemen had a 10 foot head start, it made it even more impressive.

I have tickets for the game on Tuesday night against Sheffield, and them being the top of the league team the Giants will have to be in better form overall than they were tonight to win that one. I look forward to seeing more of the new faces to this years team to really get a more rounded view of what the team has, even if we are past the halfway point of the season.

The Giants will have Thornton back for Tuesday nights game and that will be a real asset to the team. The last time I seen Steve Thornton on the ice was the 2003 Playoff Final when the Giants beat the London Knights.

Opting to go with a 5 man defensive unit this season, Thornton brings in Burgoyne and Howells to go along with Johnson, Phillips and Walton on the blueline. Both players will bring a scoring touch to the Giants back end as well as careers littered with honors.

Burgoyne, 29,  joins the Giants from Oklahoma City Blazers while Howells, 24, and one year into his professional hockey career, comes from the Helibronn Falcons in Germany. The Giants definitely appear to have picked two players with plenty to offer on their debut’s in the Elite League.

Howells starred for the Michigan State Spartans for four seasons where he won the CCHA League Championship in his third year and the National Championship during his final season at University. He was an Assistant Captain for the National Championship team and was selected to both the NCAA Regional and NCAA National “All-Tournament” Teams.

Joining Howells on the blueline next season will be Mike Burgoyne, a Central League All-Star who has set the league on fire over the last two seasons in Oklahoma City. At 6’2″ and nearly 15 stone, he is an imposing figure on the blueline but it’s his offensive skill that has garnered the most attention around the league.

I am definately excited about the offensive punch they will give the Giants from defence. Both appear to be solid in their own zone but able to jump into the rush when necessary. It all points towards yet another offensively minded Giants team, something the Giants have been known for producing over the last number of years.

Bringing in a lot of new faces to the Giants team this year definitely marks a changing of the guard and a new era in Giants hockey.

Coors Belfast Giants Complete Their Defensive Unit … [BelfastGiants.com]