Let’s begin with the positives from the Belfast Giants’ opening two video games within the Champions Hockey League, as a result of there have been loads of them.
Yes, the Belfast Giants are actually 0-2 within the CHL after defeats to Oceláři Třinec on Friday and Davos yesterday. And, sure, they have been defeated by an mixture rating of 10-3 having additionally been shut-out within the Czech Republic.
However to say that they've been outplayed in both recreation can be miles from actuality. For lengthy, lengthy stretches, the Giants have matched two groups that play in increased expert leagues, with vastly larger budgets and vastly larger sources at their disposal.
Certainly, the truth that there was frustration eminating from the Giants’ locker room after each video games ought to inform you a lot of what you should find out about how they've performed up to now. A few bounces right here and there and we might so simply be speaking about a few shock wins for the historical past books as an alternative of two hard-fought defeats.
Sadly, that isn't the case and the Giants are as an alternative sitting at this time limit backside of Group H with no factors from their opening two video games, and in each they've realized precious classes about how to achieve success within the CHL; and whereas yesterday they fastened the scoring downside that they had in Třinec, they bumped into a brand new one in opposition to Davos on the SSE Enviornment.
Whereas David Gilbert, Ben Lake and Scott Conway all obtained on the board on residence ice, the 9 penalties they took and the three second interval powerplay objectives they conceded value them dearly. The deadly Matej Stransky scored two virtually similar objectives from the left circle on the person benefit, with Valentin Nussbaumer beating Peyton Jones — 23 saves — from the proper circle as effectively.
The Giants knew coming into the sport that they wanted to restrict their opponents’ probabilities on the powerplay as a lot as attainable in the event that they have been to win video games comparable to these, and head coach Adam Keefe mentioned as a lot earlier than the event even started. After yesterday’s recreation, he was left ruing the truth that his group didn't heed his warning.
“If we eradicate these penalties, we have been proper there,” he sighed. “That was a large a part of it. We have to maintain our self-discipline and discover a technique to keep out of the penalty field.
“It was 5 penalties, 10-and-a-half minutes on the kill, in opposition to Třinec and doubtless extra tonight. It’s simply taking the wind out of the sails of among the guys who aren’t killing penalties and taking among the momentum out of the sport.
“5-on-five I’m very pleased with how we’re structured and the way we’re taking part in. For me, it’s merely the self-discipline. We have to discover methods to eradicate these penalties as a result of it’s going to be the identical story to do this.
“I counted 4 or 5 ones out of aggression or frustration, which isn’t ok. If we’re going to take penalties, they must be saving a objective, and people are those we have to eradicate. These are egocentric penalties.”
Equally, the Giants had sufficient probabilities on their very own powerplay to make a recreation of it, going 0-for-8 — together with passing up a 35-second five-on-three within the third interval when down 5-3 — so as to add to the frustration.
Regardless of a robust begin, the Giants had discovered themselves two down when Michael Fora and Magnus Nygren struck within the first interval, however the hosts did get on the board earlier than the break via Gilbert as he completed a two-on-one with Mark Cooper.
A wild opening three minutes of the center body noticed Lake tie the sport after a superb set-play off a face-off involving Ciaran Lengthy earlier than Stransky obtained his first powerplay marker, however Conway’s wrister 31 seconds later made it 3-3.
However that might be pretty much as good because it obtained for the Giants and they'd path by two on the second intermission as Stransky and Nussbaumer struck on the powerplay earlier than the buzzer, with Leon Bristedt rounding off the scoring within the third.
The temper remains to be a optimistic one as they head in direction of the return fixtures this weekend, heading to Davos on Friday earlier than returning to Belfast to welcome Třinec on Sunday. They know they're able to competing with these sides, they only want to show these into wins.
“There are at all times areas that we’ve made errors. We’ll go over among the areas we are able to enhance but additionally look again on the areas we performed effectively over the weekend,” added Keefe.
“We didn’t have lots of time to go over the video, however Tuesday we’ll do a little bit of studying and proceed to progress.
“There have been lots of indicators that we are able to get higher.”