All season one of the things many believe has been standing between the Giants and potentially winning the league title is failing to beat the Coventry Blaze time and time again. It seems like for seasons now the Blaze team have been the team that the Giants just cannot solve and again this year the points lost to the Blaze were the points keeping them out of first place. But tonight the Giants took a first step to overcoming that hurdle and getting right into the title race by beating the Blaze 2-1 in the Odyssey arena putting them just three points back on the Blaze having played a game more. To prove how tough the Blaze have been to overcome over the years for the Giants this win was just their 16th against the Blaze in 53 games between the two rivals.

They meet again on two more occasions, both on the road and these games could well prove vital to the outcome of the championship. Winning both these games could indeed vault the Giants into first place but if beating the Blaze at all was the first hurdle, then beating them on the road in their own barn is the next one and it is bigger still.

The Giants took a first period lead in the contest through man-of-the-match Jeff Szwez who put in a real team effort all night long and was a big factor in the Giants win and would also go on to assist on the Giants game winner. Coventry tied it up mid-way through the contest though on the power play and it was late in the second when the Giants grabbed the all important and decisive goal through Pat Bateman that would stand as the game winner. Into the final five minutes and the Giants decided to shut up shop and sit back trying to hold onto the lead, striking fear into the Odyssey crowd. What was a risky move paid off though and the Blaze could not take advantage as the Giants took the huge victory.

Tomorrow night the Giants are in Nottingham for a game against the third place Panthers who tonight lost a big one to rivals Sheffield, a result which definitely played into the hands of the Giants. Here’s hoping our boys to continue this form.

Last night in the Odyssey, following a defeat to the Vipers last weekend, the Giants had the chance to exact some revenge and they certainly went about doing that in clinical fashion with a massive 11-3 victory. The eleven goals for tied a team record for goals in a game (they have done it twice before) while the total of fifteen goals scored in total tied a record for goals in a game that involved the Giants (they have done it three times before). Goals in the game came by way of Pat Bateman (2), Steve Thornton (2), Craig Peacock (2), Brandon Benedict (1), Mark Morrison (1), Sean McMorrow (1), Evan Cheverie (1) and Jeff Szwez (1).

Both Pat Bateman and Steve Thornton picked up two goals and three assists while six other players registered multi-point games including Mark Morrison who grabbed his first goal of the season. Captain and top points scorer Colin Shields took until the seventh goal to get on the board and that was only with an assist as his quiet night allowed for nearly everyone else to get on board. In fact, only defenseman Michael Jacobsen and young forward Robbie Brown failed to pick up a point.

The highlight of the night however was the McMorrow goal. While on a hat trick Pat Bateman decided to pass up the opportunity to shoot for a team-mate who normally does the dirty work with his fists. McMorrow finished the tap-in and his celebration though was one that had the Giants benched doubled over laughing and the crowd equally entertained: He threw his glove in the air and proceeded to replicate shooting it with the but-end of his stick like a someone with a shut-gun hunting a bird. I guess when you don’t score very often as an enforcer and finally get your first goal at home, you have to make the most of it. An entertainer with his fists tonight he did it by putting the puck in the net.

The win sent the Giants back on top of the Elite League at least for a day or so until Coventry, who with games in hand, played again. But the team is really coming together now, everyone is contributing and the message to the league is clear that with an 11-3 win here and an 8-2 win last week against Edinburgh, the Giants mean business. Their next opposition is indeed the Capitals on Sunday.

GTV has put up onto YouTube what I believe is their first two video’s of the season. The first one is an interview with Pat Bateman after his fight with the Edinburgh goalie last week and the second is an interview with newboy Jeff Szewz. Sean McMorrow is doing that interview and certainly appears to have a nack for for the media side of the game, an area he might want to explore when he finishes his playing career!

The signings are coming thick and fast now by Steve Thornton with Canadian Pat Bateman being the latest to join up. He signs on as a player and also a student with the University of Ulster through the Giants Scholarship Programme. The 26-year old spent last season in the ECHL with Gwinnett Gladiators and is a product of the NCAA system with Michigan University.

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