It’s official: we’re down to the final game of the Elite League’s regular-season.
After a flurry of high-scoring games on the penultimate night of the campaign, it’s still all to play for top-eight seeding.
The Cardiff Devils, Nottingham Panthers, and Sheffield Steelers could finish in any order between second and fourth.
It’s a two-way battle for fifth between the Guildford Flames and Manchester Storm, while the Coventry Blaze and Glasgow Clan have seventh to fight over.
Welcome to Around the Rinks: our daily summary of every team’s post-game media remarks.
Around the Rinks: Saturday, 4 April
Belfast Giants 2-6 Guildford Flames
Ben Lake, Belfast Giants (Image: William Cherry)
Adam Keefe, Belfast Giants:
We just weren’t good enough. Credit to Guildford: they were very good. I liked most of our first period, we controlled it and were unlucky to come out of it 1-0 down. But once they got the 3-1 lead they outcompeted us. They did the little things that you need to win and we didn’t.
I know it’s a game that means nothing for us in terms of points, but we should be playing for pride. There are 7,000 fans here in the building and I thought the performance was unacceptable. I was really disappointed with tonight.
Paul Dixon, Guildford Flames:
I’m delighted for the group. We came in here missing a lot of key players, we’re a bit short-staffed, but the guys were fantastic. Our execution, compete level and work ethic were spot on. We ticked every box for the full sixty minutes. I thought it was pretty faultless from our side tonight.
Cardiff Devils 2-1 Coventry Blaze
Paul Thompson, Cardiff Devils:
I thought the first ten minutes were good: we were snapping pucks around and getting some good locks. The last ten minutes of the first were sloppy: passes weren’t connecting. We didn’t start the second period great either, but we created a lot of good opportunities in the third period.
The penalty kill has to take a lot of applause tonight. They all did a marvellous job.
Kevin Moore, Coventry Blaze:
Special teams were the difference tonight: a penalty kill mistake leads to a nice goal for Cardiff and we didn’t capitalise on our five-minute powerplay. That was the difference.
Fife Flyers 3-2 Dundee Stars (Overtime)
Mike Courts, Fife Flyers:
I’m proud of the guys: they came out with a lot of intensity. It was a hell of a game from both teams and I felt that we really deserved it.
Marc LeFebvre, Dundee Stars:
We were just completely outworked. Fife wanted it more than we did and that’s what it comes down to. When you get outworked, you don’t deserve to win. Fife wanted it from the start and were rewarded for it.
Manchester Storm 3-4 Nottingham Panthers
Quotes from Cam Critchlow and Danny Stewart to follow.
Sheffield Steelers 8-1 Glasgow Clan
Jordon Southorn, Sheffield Steelers (Image: Dean Woolley)
Aaron Fox, Sheffield Steelers:
We needed that tonight. I liked our effort and energy. We didn’t have any passengers tonight: everyone was playing the right way. It starts with defensive responsibility and getting to the inside. When everyone is committed to the cause, it’s a completely different hockey team.
I thought it was really important that we showed up tonight: 9,000 people were here after us not giving them much to cheer for. There’s a good feeling.
Mike Sirant, Glasgow Clan:
It was a pretty humiliating performance tonight. We’ve been playing some pretty good hockey over these last several weeks, but it got away from us tonight. It was okay until the middle of the second period and then we collapsed. We’re making too many mental mistakes with the puck and you just can’t do that against Sheffield.
