Will the Elite League title race and play-offs push be decided tonight or will the climax to a thrilling season come on Sunday?
Cardiff Devils are second going into their home clash with MK Lightning and dare not slip up.
Giants won 7-0 against Fife Flyers on Friday, heaping more pressure on Devils.
Belfast lead the league by virtue of more regulation wins, but have played a game more than Devils.
Saturday’s Elite League fixtures
7pm Cardiff Devils vs. MK Lightning (Sold out | Webcast)
The league trophy is in play for Cardiff should the Devils earn more points than Belfast this evening.
Cardiff, though, are aware of the danger facing them. Lightning have taken an overtime win at the Viola Arena already this season, and the Devils’ win in the other game was only by the odd goal in 11.
“Milton Keynes will be tough opponents and we won’t be under-estimating them,” says Devils coach Andrew Lord. “Overall, though, it’s about us and how we execute our own game plan.”
Lightning ran Manchester close last night before going down 5-3.
“It will be an exciting game against Devils,” said Lightning player-coach Tim Wallace. “It’s a sold-out arena with a lot on the line for Cardiff.
“We need to be ready – and not play a ‘run and gun’ style. We have found a way to win in Cardiff before, so we know what it takes. This game will separate the men from the boys.”
7pm Belfast Giants vs. Dundee Stars (Tickets | Webcast)
The league trophy is in play for Belfast tonight if they can beat Dundee and Cardiff lose in regulation time against Lightning.
Belfast haven’t lost at home this calendar in 2019, but the last team to beat them at the SSE Arena were the side they face tonight – Dundee, on the final day of 2018.
Dundee are now mathematically out of the race for the final play-off place. They head to Belfast for the first of two road games this weekend, with no more than pride at stake.
7pm Glasgow Clan vs. Fife Flyers (Sold Out)
Glasgow and Fife are both guaranteed playoff places, but where they finish in the league table – and therefore who they face – is still to be decided.
Glasgow are keen to end a losing streak of six games, in which they have only picked up one point. Clan can, however, guarantee finishing above the Flyers if they manage a win of any kind over them tonight.
7pm Manchester Storm vs. Coventry Blaze (Tickets | Webcast)
It could be ‘winner takes all’ at the Storm Shelter tonight – depending on who wins, and in what form it happens.
Manchester’s win yesterday in Milton Keynes put them into the final play-off place and, with a better overall win record than Coventry, would qualify for the play-offs with any form of win tonight.
“We’re back in our own rink, and will be confident,” says Storm coach Ryan Finnerty. “Winning in Milton Keynes was a big one. It’s a rink we’ve struggled to get points in over the past two seasons. Now we go into kind of a ‘one-off’ game to get into the playoffs.”
Coventry can’t afford to lose, otherwise they’ll be out of the playoff race with one game still to play. Should they win in overtime, they’d trail Storm on level points because of the the tiebreak, but have another chance on Sunday to get themselves over the line.
Winning in regulation would see the Blaze secure a play-off place.
7pm Nottingham Panthers vs. Guildford Flames (Tickets)
Nottingham earned third place in this season’s Elite League by virtue of Fife losing in Belfast, and now complete their regular season looking for revenge against the team that knocked them out of the Challenge Cup in the semi-finals.
Guildford still have the possibility of finishing fourth, but are also wary that they could drop as low as seventh if they were to end this weekend without any points and other results went against them.