Everyone in action on Saturday night
Photo: Flyers Images
Saturday brings a full slate of Challenge Cup action, with all 10 Motorpoint Elite League teams taking to the ice across five games.
Guildford return home after picking up a point against Sheffield last Sunday, having led the Steelers 3-0 before eventually losing in a shootout. The Flames had opened their campaign with a 3-1 defeat in Cardiff the previous night, with Saturday bringing a quick rematch between the two sides. Cardiff were also in action on Friday night at home to Manchester Storm, picking up a win to give them two victories out of three in the Challenge Cup.
Belfast play their first game at the O2 Arena since August, having spent the final week of pre-season in Germany at the Warrior Cup. The Giants opened their Challenge Cup campaign with a perfect weekend in Scotland, beating Dundee 4-1 before edging Glasgow on penalty shots the following day to take four points from four. Dundee, meanwhile, lost both of their opening games 4-1 at home and now head on the road for the first time this season.
Coventry return to the Skydome after earning their first win of the season there last Sunday, beating Cardiff 3-2 after suffering a 6-0 defeat in Sheffield on opening night. Manchester picked up a point from their opening game in Nottingham, where they were beaten in a shootout, before their scheduled Sunday home game against the Panthers was cancelled due to ice issues. Storm were beaten on Friday night in Cardiff, leaving them winless after two games.
Fife and Glasgow meet for the second time in as many weekends after their opening-night game went all the way to a shootout. The Flyers fought back from 3-1 down late in the third period to earn a point before Glasgow took the extra one. Fife followed that with a 4-1 win over Dundee on Sunday to end the weekend with three points, while Clan added another point from a shootout defeat to Belfast.
The Sheffield-Nottingham rivalry needs no introduction, and the two sides meet for the first time this season on Saturday. Sheffield took maximum points from their opening weekend, starting with a 6-0 home win over Coventry before recovering from three goals down in Guildford to win in a shootout, with Mitchell Balmas hitting the winner in sudden-death penalty shots. Nottingham also needed a shootout with beat Manchester after the teams were tied at 3-3 through regulation, while their scheduled rematch in Manchester on Sunday was cancelled. Saturday will be the Panthers' first road game of the season.
