With five games to go the Belfast Giants sit in fourth, five points off the top. With the Devils sitting precariously in second and playing the Giants three times in the next five days the fate of both clubs leagues championship hopes will be all but settled at the end of this series, the league may be drawing to a close but someone just turned up the heat!
Over the course of the season the Giants and Devils have had six epic clashes, the 
Giants have only managed to take one victory as they have struggle to find their game against the in form Devils. Underestimation of the Giants would be lethal to the Devils title hopes as despite their poor record against Cardiff they have had a great season over all taking wins regularly with very few multi game losing streaks on their record.
Belfast have played an exciting brand of hockey mixing skill, speed, grit and toughness to field one of the most rounded rosters in the EIHL. They have been savvy in responding to injury issues ensuring that they have rarely missed a step during the season. Mid-season signings such as Jim Vandemeer have shown that Derrick Walser and Steve Thornton have had their foot to the floor both on and off the ice.
With all that is happening domestically it is easy to forget they also flew they represented the EIHL against Italian Serie A side SG Cortina. The two game Olympic series was held in Belfast in February and saw the Giants win both games. The series appeared to act as a reboot for the then struggling Giants who went on to take six league wins from seven games with their only loss in the run coming at the hands of the Devils.
Going into final sprint it is a five horse race to the title. The Belfast Giants play a good long game and should they take the title it would be the fourth time in EIHL history they have done so putting them equal to the Sheffield Steelers and Coventry Blaze. That said, it may be time for Cardiff to finally put their names in the EIHL history books for their maiden title win.
Four weeks, six games. Any attachment to finger nails may soon be a thing of the past. It has been said before but it is even truer now…. this is one of the most exciting EIHL finales of all time.
First [published by the author in Cardiff match night magazine
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