A double header delight ahead for the Giants as they battle the Devils

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Jordan Kawaguchi, the Belfast Giants’ hat-trick hero from the win against the Fife Flyers, agrees that this weekend’s double header games with the Cardiff Devils at the SSE Arena are the biggest of the season so far.

He says that everyone is pumped up for the visit of the Devils and they will be focused on the points which will be up for grabs.

He said: “We all know severity of the games this weekend. They are going to be two huge games for us.

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“These two games going to have a big impact on how our standings and chances of winning the championship going forward.”

Belfast Giants’ Jordan Kawaguchi celebrates scoring against Coventry Blaze earlier this season. Photo by William Cherry/PresseyeBelfast Giants’ Jordan Kawaguchi celebrates scoring against Coventry Blaze earlier this season. Photo by William Cherry/Presseye
Belfast Giants’ Jordan Kawaguchi celebrates scoring against Coventry Blaze earlier this season. Photo by William Cherry/Presseye

Jordan expects that the Devils will come into the SSE ready to do battle with the Giants as they seek to make up ground having dropped points in recent weeks.

Kawaguchi said: “They are a very good team and have been doing well at the start of the season but so are we.

Neither team will want to lose the two games this weekend both teams will be battling for those points, every point counts at this stage of the season.

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“We have go into both games and play how we play and not allow them to get into their game.

“We need to try and keep having success like we have this last while, if we keep playing our game and keep to our systems, we know that we can win games.”

He added: “We need to ride the confidence that we will get from a home crowd. It is going to be very loud against the Devils and I have no doubt that it will be a good one and will lift the players.”

The Giants need to stamp their authority on the games right from the first puck drop and give the Devils no glimmers of life.

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Kawaguchi said: “We are a team that likes to take control of games right from the start. We like to come out of the locker room strong and that is what we will definitely need to do this weekend.

“We need to remain focussed on the task at hand, which is to beat the Devils, and if we can do that we will be able to carry to momentum right through the game.

“We have had our problems with doing that all year, whether its been playing well in the first, playing okay in the second and then letting the third slip, we need to play well for the full 60 minutes and not just for 40 minutes.

“It is about being consistent for the full 60 minutes in a game this weekend.”

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Consistency is truly the name of the game, it is something that head coach Adam Keefe has been impressing upon Giants all season. The team that is the most consistent will will the championship.

Kawaguch believes that this will be important for the Giants, he remarked: “You have to play every game like its the last.

“It is something that Keefer has been reminding us about every week, it’s the need for consistency. It is every more important in the second half of the season.

“It's about making sure that you are ready to go every night, it doesn’t matter who you are playing it could be someone at the bottom of the standings or at the top, every points matters going forward now and we want to keep taking the wins and the points.

“Having dropped those points against Sheffield last weekend our focus is on getting back to winning this weekend.”

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