And I thought the crash in temperature from 27 degrees yesterday to 19 degrees today here in Toronto was just a blip until I remembered at the last minute that the Giants were back in hockey action and realized it was a definitive sign than winter was not far away and that the hockey season was even closer. I also realized at about 5.30 p.m. that there was a Giants game tonight and then remembered I hadn’t factored in the time difference and so was left wondering how the game actually finished. It wasn’t on a webcast anyway and there was little chance of me getting back to Dundonald were the game was taking place today so it’s not like I missed much. Besides, if you didn’t already know, it was just a pre-season ‘friendly’ against Newcastle giving Thornton a chance to run through some line combos. Oh and they won 8-3 with new boy Faubert getting three of them and Mark Morrison adding another two.

Well it was two tight games this weekend for the Giants but in the end they edged out the select team of the Hawks and Bulls 10-0 on Saturday and 9-1 on Sunday. Everyone was chipping in with goals and assists as the Hawks/Bulls goalie topped up the tan on the back of his neck every time the Red light came on. At the other end Stevie Lyle and Nathan Craze took turns between the pipes and spent more time eyeing up the woman in the stands than saving shots.  Still it was an exercise that allowed Steve Thornton the chance to see his players in a game situation, were hits could be thrown and penalties taken. It allowed him to try out line combinations ahead of the real action this coming weekend when the season gets underway.

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Huddinge 3, Giants 3

The Giants put on a much better showing last night and tied with Huddinge 3-3.  Unfortunately yet again the referee was penalty happy handing out a number of calls for what otherwise in British hockey would have been let go.  I guess it allowed the Giants to work on their penalty kill.  It’ll give the team a lot of confidence going into the new season that probably without them penalties they may well have taken the game.  Still the main aim has been achieved; Ed Courtenay can now head back to Belfast knowing what exactly he wants to work on in the coming five days before the season opener with Edinburgh.  With George Awada still come into the line-up things are very promising for a solid season indeed.

Notes: Troy Neumeier played in his first game and by all reports had a very solid game.  Paul Moran sat out the game with an injury and Mark Dutiaume didn’t play their third period after taking a knock in the game.

Giants 3, Huddinge 5

Here is my view from the game.  Don’t worry he moved after the first period!

The Giants got their pre-season off to a start last night in Dundalk to a 5-3 defeat to Swedish side Huddinge.  It was a game that will have left Ed Courtney with plenty to think about but also plenty of positive points to take from the first proper run out for the Giants team.  The Huddinge side were slick and fast and punished the Giants for the mistakes they made.  The first two periods the Giants were slack taking a handful of penalties from a referee who certainly wasn’t shy to hand them out at the first sign of contact but they really picked it up in the third playing good attacking hockey.  Ed appeared to be playing around with line combinations and different systems the first two periods before settling down and playing some hockey in the third.

I’ll not give a real in-depth view of the game, just twenty thoughts on what I see from some of our players, the arena and anything else …  Read More»