Tonight: 8 teams battle for league points
Four games spread over Sunday evening
It's a busy Sunday of action in the league!
1600 Belfast Giants vs. Nottingham Panthers (Webcast)
In game two of their double home weekend, Belfast host Nottingham looking to get there first points of the week after a surprise loss to Dundee less than 24 hours ago.
Nottingham meanwhile arrive in Belfast after a narrow win in Manchester - a rink where the Giants lost lost in overtime a week ago. The Giants are now winless in two, while the Panthers are looking to make it a four-point weekend.
"This will be a tough challenge. We certainly won't have the puck as much as we did against Dundee, but we have to make sure we're not giving up breakaways and odd-man rushes as we did last night." - Adam Keefe (Head Coach, Belfast Giants)
"I’ve never played Belfast, but I’ve heard they're a very good team. This game will come down to what it always does, it’s man-on-man out there, and you have to win your battles." - William Quist (Forward, Nottingham Panthers)
1600 Sheffield Steelers vs. Glasgow Clan (Webcast)
Both Sheffield and Glasgow come in to this afternoon's game off the back of impressive wins a day ago. There will of course be a special atmosphere around the FlyDSA Arena when the Clan are in town - the return of Mathieu Roy on the ice, and Zack Fitzgerald off it, both former Steelers who were crowd favourites during their time in Yorkshire.
There will however be no room for sentiment with league points at stake. The Steelers are looking to keep pace with Fife at the top of the table, while the Clan, are looking for their first four-point weekend of the season.
"Of course it will be good to see the reception Mathieu Roy receives, he made a lot of friends in Sheffield. He will be doing anything to score and make a contribution on Sunday. We will be trying equally hard to ensure he doesn’t. Glasgow have such high-end talent and we know we will have to be at our best to combat that. We have started a decent little run here and we want to continue it." - Jonathan Phillips (Captain, Sheffield Steelers)
"It’ll be a fun game, and I'll enjoy the moment returning to Sheffield. But, of course, as soon as the game starts I’m there as a Clan player and we’re coming to win a hockey game." - Mathieu Roy (Forward, Glasgow Clan)
1700 Dundee Stars vs. Manchester Storm (Webcast)
After a few losses in a row, Dundee have now picked up three points in their last two games - that they came against Belfast and Sheffield is equally as impressive. They entertain Manchester not long after the sides met at the Storm Shelter, and the Storm took a 3-1 win.
Since that victory however the Storm have picked up just a win in three games - an overtime victory over Belfast. Interestingly, both of these sides have faced the same opposition since their last meeting, just in different orders. Against Belfast both teams have won one way or another, and lost to Nottingham. Dundee's point in Sheffield gives them a slight edge in recent form.
"Manchester are a good team and they work hard, obviously playing on the big ice is going to be to our advantage. We have some fast forwards and I think it is going to be helpful as well to be playing at home. I think it will just take moving the puck quick, getting pucks to the net and using our speed to break them down. I think it is really important that we take advantage of home ice and get some points." - Matt Marquardt (Captain, Dundee Stars)
"Dundee are always tough in their building and we will have to be ready to battle from the start. It will be a long travel day, so we will have to be mentally ready to compete before arriving." - Ryan Finnerty (Head Coach, Manchester Storm)
1800 Guildford Flames vs. Fife Flyers
A 450-odd mile bus journey will take Fife to Guildford as the Flyers look to keep their position at the top of the Elite League.
The Flyers stayed level at the summit thanks to a home win over Coventry, and go to a rink tonight where they've won on their last four visits.
Guildford's start to the season has been hampered by injuries, but after an overtime loss to Cardiff midweek, and an encouraging 40 minutes in Sheffield, they'll be looking to get their first league points of the season.
"Since we joined the Elite League, Fife have been one of our bogey teams, especially in our own rink. They have good goaltending, and forwards that can score, and as we know there are no easy games in this league." - Paul Dixon (Head Coach, Guildford Flames)
"Nobody enjoys being on the big bus journeys that we will face on Sunday to take on Guildford, but it’s just the reality of this league that stretches the length of the country. The guys have to be mentality prepared to be on the bus for the majority of the day but we will get out and have the opportunity to stretch out their legs. Once we get to the rink the guys will get into their pre-game routines and shake the bus legs off because Guildford are a very dangerous team. They have added more key pieces this year and they seem deeper than they have in the past. Any time you take points out of Guildford, it is a cause for celebration and we are hoping we can do that on Sunday." - Todd Dutiaume (Head Coach, Fife Flyers)
