A midweek win over Coventry Blaze closed the gap to league leaders, Cardiff Devils, to just four points with two games in hand.
Adam Keefe’s side are in red hot form, having now gone six games unbeaten and they go into a busy Christmas period with eminently winnable games against Fife Flyers followed by Glasgow Clan.
Early season inconsistency has been put in the rearview mirror for the Belfast outfit, with significant wins over treble champions, Sheffield Steelers, on Sunday followed by a 4-1 win over Coventry on Wednesday night demonstrating the side’s title winning credentials.
The manner in which the Giants put Coventry to the sword in their midweek clash suggests a side who are attacking with intent from the moment the puck is dropped.
Indeed, it was a first period three-goal blitz which put the Giants in command. The visitors hit back to reduce the deficit but the men in teal put the game beyond doubt with another strike in the third period.
The Irish News spoke to captain Mark Cooper, who lauded the efforts of his teammates as they go into the Christmas period on a trajectory which could soon see his side perched at the top of the tree.
“Things are really starting to click and as a team we’re excited going into the Christmas period,” Cooper explained.
“We’re in good form and we have a packed schedule but it’s always a lot of fun with bigger crowds and some of the guys have family in town.
“We took a while to find our feet but I think in the last month or so guys have got really used to their roles. There had been a lot of inconsistency due to injuries and form but we are hitting our stride now.”
A comfortable 3-0 win over Sheffield Steelers on Sunday evening was especially significant for the Giants, who had been beaten twice this season by the treble holders, albeit away from home.
With the psychological hurdle of beating the league champions overcome, Cooper believes his side have been given a massive boost in confidence when it comes to their expectations of winning trophies this season.
“It was huge for us to get the win over Sheffield.” Cooper says.
“You saw in the Champions League what a good side they are and last season they were incredible.
“It was a big deal to get that win in front of a home crowd in the fashion that we did. We proved to ourselves that we are one of the big dogs this season and we can control our own destiny. If we can keep playing well we are a force to be reckoned with.
“There’s always a lot of talk of trophies but you have to keep a small-picture mindset or it just becomes too overwhelming. We take it one shift, one period, one game at a time.”
The Giants will now turn their focus to a double-header with Fife Flyers this weekend before facing Glasgow Clan and the Dundee Stars between Christmas and the new year.
Cooper emphasises that if the Giants have any hope of reclaiming their league crown, they need to not take any games for granted given the ability of any team in the Elite league to produce an upset on their day.
“I think that Fife are a bit down on numbers and confidence right now.” Cooper says.
“They are going to have a point to prove and show their intention to make a bit of noise in the second half of the season. I think we just have to approach every game like it’s going to be a very tough opponent, and we know these games will be.
“Fife beat Sheffield a few weeks ago and Glasgow have had some big wins recently and they are on a roll.
“I think you just have to approach each game with the attitude that most teams are now trying to either catch us in the standings or stay above us. At the minute, it’s just Cardiff ahead of us and, for us, they’re the ones with the target on their back. I think if we play well then we have a pretty good shot at this next set of games.”
The Giants travel to Scotland to face Fife on Saturday before welcoming them to Belfast the following evening.
The games keep coming thick and fast with another Scottish double header against Glasgow on boxing day before a return visit to Belfast on Saturday.
