Wednesday night was a big one in the Challenge Cup and solved a couple of things in Group A. Firstly, we know that Coventry Blaze and Sheffield Steelers are both into the Semi-Finals. The order in which they finish will be decided by the Steelers’ final group game in Manchester – if they get at least a point, they will top the group. Coventry currently hold the tie-break advantage on points percentage should the teams finish level. Group A seeding will be wrapped up on 26 October when the Storm host the Steelers.
Nottingham Panthers have qualified for the Elimination Game, which means that Cardiff Devils, Manchester Storm, and Guildford Flames are all eliminated.
In Group B, Dundee Stars are back on top with three games left to play. They will face Belfast Giants once and Glasgow Clan twice to complete their Cup schedule. The Giants and Clan still need to meet once more, while Clan also have two fixtures remaining against Fife Flyers. The Stars could still finish first overall in the tournament, but would need to win all three of their remaining games to guarantee it. Clan could also reach the top seed spot if they win all five of their final games.
Clan play two Cup games this weekend, which might give us a clearer picture of the situation in Group B, but in theory, it could go all the way down to the wire when Belfast host Dundee in the final Group Stage game on 9 November.
You must be logged in to post a comment.