Devils Fans Would Love Rivals Steelers To Win In Belfast On Friday

Cardiff Devils fans are backing bitter rivals Sheffield Steelers to win against title-chasing Belfast Giants in Northern Ireland on Friday (7pm).

A Steelers win would virtually end Giants hopes of being crowned champions and set up a massive clash in South Yorkshire on Saturday.

Captain Jonathan Phillips and his Steelers must travel home from Belfast to face Devils, who could yet lift the title on Sheffield ice.

More than 200 Devils fans are expected to travel, hoping to see their Cardiff team beat reigning champions Steelers.

“It hurts having to hand over the trophy, but we don’t want that to happen on our ice,” said Steelers forward Robert Dowd, who has scored 21 goals and 42 points in 47 Elite League appearances.

“All credit to Cardiff because they have been extremely good.

“They have been getting better and better over the last few seasons.”

Durham-born Dowd, 28, plays alongside Andreas Valdix and Levi Nelson and they form a potent forward line.

It is still mathematically possibly for Sheffield to win the league title, but coach Paul Thompson’s team would need to win all of their remaining four games and hope Devils and Giants slip up if they are to claim a third successive Elite League title.

Belfast currently trail Devils by five points and are set to travel to Wales next weekend for back-to-back games at Ice Arena Wales in Cardiff Bay.

Giants also need Devils to stumble if they are to be in with a chance of claiming their first Elite League title since 2014.

Player-Coach Andrew Lord and his Devils players have four fixtures left in the regular season. This weekend they play Sheffield away on Saturday (7pm) before taking on Fife Flyers in front of a capacity attendance at Ice Arena Wales on Sunday (6pm).

Flyers are at home to Braehead Clan on Saturday before making the trip to South Wales.

The referee for both Cardiff Devils matches this weekend is Tom Pering.

Ticket information for Devils home fixtures is available from the club’s official website or via the hotline on 0800 0842 666.

Elite League table 

Top five only – all teams play 52 fixtures

Pl Pts

1 Cardiff Devils 48 75

2 Belfast Giants 48 70

3 Sheffield Steelers 48 67

4 Braehead Clan 48 51

5 Nottingham Panthers 46 50