👀 FRIDAY PREVIEW: Winners and losers
It all comes down to this...
WHAT’S LEFT TO BE DECIDED?
Simply the destination of the league title and the final play-off place is to be confirmed. Belfast Giants, Sheffield Steelers and Nottingham Panthers are all in the hunt for the silverware heading into the final weekend.
Thanks to the Elite League, they worked out the permutations so we’ve copied this for you to see for yourself as far as the championship is concerned.
BELFAST GIANTS
Two wins will clinch the Elite League title for Belfast. They lead by one point and so, defeating Nottingham twice would guarantee the Steelers and Panthers could no longer match a Giants points total of 80.
The Giants can win the title as early as Saturday. That would occur with a home win over Nottingham combined with a Sheffield home defeat in regulation to Cardiff. In that case, both Steelers & Panthers could no longer match a Giants points total of 78.
Regardless of the Belfast vs Nottingham result, the title race will go to the final day of the season on Sunday if Sheffield defeat Cardiff or take a point from a loss in overtime/penalty shootout.
A Saturday defeat for Belfast does not put them out of contention. However, the result of Sheffield’s game will determine whether the Giants are still the leaders, or the chasers, going into Sunday’s final day of action.
SHEFFIELD STEELERS
Sheffield, trailing by a point, need to better the Giants points tally this weekend.
Importantly they hold a better record in regulation wins, the first tiebreaker, by 33 to 31. So, if both teams were tied on points after the weekends’ games then Sheffield would win the title by virtue of having won more games in regulation than Belfast.
If Sheffield pick up one point on Saturday, from overtime/penalty shootout, then the title race will go to Sunday, regardless of the Belfast vs Nottingham result.
Two defeats in regulation would eliminate the Steelers from contention.
NOTTINGHAM PANTHERS
Panthers need two wins in regulation time combined with two Steelers defeats, also in regulation time.
Defeating Belfast twice in regulation and Sheffield losing twice in regulation would see Nottingham reach 76 points, one point ahead of the Steelers tied with the Giants, and win the title on the first tiebreak of regulation wins (32 to 31).
No other sequence of results would see Nottingham win the title. If either Belfast or Sheffield pickup at least one point this weekend, then the Panthers will be eliminated from title contention.
So, that’s title sorted out, what about the race for the play-offs? Seven teams have already stamped their ticket, but the eighth and final berth remains up for grabs so it promises to be quite the dramatic weekend down at the bottom end of the table too.
Dundee Stars and Manchester Storm are the two teams left, slugging it out to be part of the post-season fare and it’s all to play for. But what do they need to be able to take a place in the quarter finals?
Following Dundee’s OT loss in Glasgow in Friday, they need either need Manchester Storm to lose against Fife Flyers on Saturday or beat the Flyers themselves on Sunday.
If Storm win on Saturday versus Fife and Stars lose in overtime or penalty shots to the same opponents when they play on Sunday, Manchester would sneak in by virtue of total wins.
GAME OF THE WEEKEND
It’s the hell of a week to produce this for the first time, but your game of the weekend is actually two games of the weekend as the destination of the Elite League championship trophy will finally be known.
Sheffield Steelers will have a big say in how this all pans out this weekend, but it’s hard to ignore the double header between Belfast Giants and Nottingham Panthers with both teams still in the title hunt.
Check out the Story of the Series between the teams this season:
🥹 DUTIAUME’S BIG MOMENT ARRIVES
Fife Flyers are continuing to honour their legends this weekend and after retiring the jerseys of Mark Morrison and Steven King, the latest legend is perhaps a little more poignant.
Former head coach Todd Dutiaume and his #11 jersey will get their moment on Saturday when the Kirkcaldy side host Manchester Storm and Elite suspects there won’t be a dry eye in the house.
Dutiaume has lived and breathed the club since arriving from Telford Tigers in 1998 and not only played, played and coached, coached and now acts as general manager for the club, his roots go far deeper than the organisation.
He has suffered some unimaginable personal devastation as well as severe health issues over the years which can test the strongest of characters so that’s why his celebration transitions beyond his contribution around Fife Ice Arena.
Congratulations to Todd and his family and enjoy what will undoubtedly be a special night.
🎥 WATCH NOW: Fife Flyers spoke with Todd Dutiaume ahead of his jersey retirement
📊 STANDINGS
📆 WEEKEND FIXTURES
SATURDAY
Guildford Flames vs Glasgow Clan (6:00pm, The Spectrum)
🎟️ Tickets SOLD OUT 📺 Webcast
Belfast Giants vs Nottingham Panthers (7:00pm, SSE Arena)
Sheffield Steelers vs Cardiff Devils (7:00pm, Utilita Arena)
Fife Flyers vs Manchester Storm (7:15pm, Fife Ice Arena)
SUNDAY
Dundee Stars vs Fife Flyers (5:00pm, Dundee Ice Arena)
Coventry Blaze vs Sheffield Steelers (5:30pm, Skydome)
Nottingham Panthers vs Belfast Giants (5:30pm, Motorpoint Arena)
🏟️ AROUND THE RINKS
Since we last seen you, here is a round-up of what’s been happening around the country in the last couple of days.
🇬🇧 Great Britain squad for World Championship Division 1 Group A tilt announced - Ice Hockey UK website
✈️ The winners of the Elite League will take part in next season’s Champions League, which was confirmed by the CHL on Thursday - Elite League website
🗣️ “It’s an organisational success” - Nottingham Panthers coac Danny Stewart previews the weekend and reflects on his team’s success - Nottingham Panthers on X
🙌 Glasgow Clan announce sell out crowd for Dundee visit - Glasgow Clan website
🎙️ Aaron Murphy sat down with Clan defenceman Chris McKay to preview his team’s weekend - Glasgow Clan on X
🗣️ “These are the biggest games of the year” - Brendan Harms previews the weekend for Dundee Stars - Dundee Stars on X
📢 Roster announcements for Adam Keefe’s testimonial in the last couple of days include Mark Garside, Brad Bonello, Kevin Saurette and Jon Pelle - A View from the Bridge on X
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Have a great weekend, thank you again for reading and we’ll see you on Monday!