Sheffield Steelers closed the gap on Elite League leaders Cardiff Devils to four points after picking up a pair of wins.
Goals by Jason Hewitt, Fredrick Vestberg and Ryan Hayes sealed a 3-2 success on home ice against the Devils, and Steelers followed up with a 3-2 shoot-out victory at Dundee Stars – Levi Nelson grabbed the deciding goal.
Cardiff bounced back from the defeat with a 4-1 home win against Fife Flyers – Leigh Salters, Joey Martin, Guillaume Doucet and Andrew Hotham got the goals.
Braehead Clan boosted their title hopes with a four-point weekend.
Clan came from behind to win 4-2 at home to Dundee, but they found things easier at Edinburgh Capitals as they raced to a 4-1 victory.
That result completed a miserable couple of days for the Capitals who also lost 7-1 at Fife.
Nottingham Panthers also collected four points, winning 4-0 on home ice against Manchester Storm and 4-2 in the reverse fixture.
David Rutherford hit the winner for Belfast in their 2-1 shoot-out success at home to Coventry Blaze, and Giants completed an excellent weekend with a 6-3 victory in Saturday’s second meeting between the two teams.
WEEKEND RESULTS
Friday
Belfast Giants 2-1 Coventry Blaze (SO)
Saturday
Belfast Giants 6-3 Coventry Blaze
Braehead Clan 4-2 Dundee Stars
Fife Flyers 7-1 Edinburgh Capitals
Nottingham Panthers 4-0 Manchester Storm
Sheffield Steelers 3-2 Cardiff Devils
Sunday
Manchester Storm 2-4 Nottingham Panthers
Edinburgh Capitals 1-4 Braehead Clan
Cardiff Devils 4-1 Fife Flyers
Dundee Stars 2-3 Sheffield Steelers (SO)
(Image permission: Mick Johnson)
