Apart from an 8-9 minute spell in the second period this was a dominating win from the Belfast Giants.

Great goaltending from man of the match Tom McCollum with the shut-out helped by an all-round huge team defensive effort and timely goals.

The Steelers are just on a bad run at the moment - still a great team going through a rough patch but they didn’t deserve anything from this game.

The two sides head into a busy holiday period but meet again here in Belfast in three weeks time - what will the standings look like then?

For now the Giants have moved into second place on their own.

Image source, Press Eye

Some liberties being taken in the final few minutes.

Giants on the powerplay

Steelers with a powerplay and make it 6-on-4 by pulling Matt Greenfield.

Giants penalty killers do a terrific job and kill it off.

Still an empty net with 4 minutes to go

Giants break and Jordan Kawaguchi looks off the pass and then wrists a shot high over the blocker of Matt Greenfield

Image source, Press Eye

Big final period coming up with the Steelers starting on the powerplay.

The Odyssey Trust has unveiled a commemorative sculpture to begin celebrations marking a 25th anniversary season for Belfast Giants which will include a testimonial for the organisation's coach Adam Keefe on 8 June.

Located at The SSE Arena's main entrance, the four-metre tall four puck-shaped structure will welcome ice hockey fans and concertgoers to the home of the Belfast Giants.

The Giants' continuing success having played more than 1,000 games home and away and enticed million of fans to their venue has confounded those sceptics who said that ice hockey would not prove popular in Belfast.

"I wasn’t around back then but I’ve been told about the way it was received by some people," Keefe remarked to BBC Sport NI at the unveiling of the Giants-themed sculpture.

"The people who got on board in the early days, it’s special for them and it’s extra special that this puck will be really cemented here in The SSE Arena."

Image source, Ruairi Cunningham

Giants heroes to play in Keefe testimonial

Adam Keefe is among the band of North American ice hockey players who made Belfast their home after joining the Giants.

"There does seem to be something a little different and a little special about playing here. There are so many players who have stayed here.

"We have a bunch on our coaching staff and on our management and others sprinkled around town that haven’t left.

"You come here and it does mean a little more than a pro hockey team. Bringing both sides of the community together and helping out in the community is equally important to winning."

Keefe's testimonial weekend next June will also bring back to the city a host of players who made a big impact during their stints in Belfast.

"Mainly I’m happy that we will welcome back some players that deserve to come back and see it as they were a big part of the success here," added the Giants coach.

"I’m also happy for the fans and the staff that get to see those guys coming back. It’s going to be a lot of fun celebrating 25 years and there are going to be a lot of familiar faces back in town."

The Giants invited pressure on themselves in the final minute of the period with a couple of sloppy errors.

Tom McCollum makes three saves in succession before Gabe Bast lobs the puck over the glass so the Giants will be on the penalty kill to begin the final 20 minutes but still hold a 2-0 lead

Image source, Press Eye

Tom McCollum and his team mates kill the penalty and at the end fists fly.

Off-setting penalties and we play on at even strength

Halfway through the game and finally a little spell of Steelers sustained pressure with Patrick Watling denied by Tom McCollum.

Maxim Golod then denied by the post.

And now they’ll get their first powerplay with 8:09 to go in the period.

The Giants out-shot the Steelers 21-5 in the first period.

Hard to think there on’t be some pushback from the champions in the second period.

Off we go…

Image source, Press Eye

Matt Greenfield has kept this from being a larger Giants lead but on the powerplay he has so much traffic in front of him.

Somehow he makes the first save but Scott Conway is there to tuck in the rebound.

2-0 Giants as the first period comes to an end

Image source, Press Eye

Frenetic first period, great end-to-end hockey and after failing to capitalise on the first powerplay the Giants take the lead.

Pierre-Olivier Morin’s shot is off the pad of Greenfield and onto the stick of Bobo Carpenter who buries the rebound.

Cue the teddy bear toss - we’ll be a while

Image source, Press Eye

Matt Greenfield denies Jordan Kawaguchi on the doorstep. First big save of the game.

Giants dominating possession

Don’t forget we’ll have play-in goal clips from this afternoon’s game.

No surprise with the starting netminders - for the Giants, Tom McCollum and Matt Greenfield for the Steelers.

These are always huge games and this one is underway.

Image source, Press Eye

It doesn’t get any bigger than this in the Elite League.

Two of the top teams battling it out for valuable points as the title race is about to really ramp up.

The defending champions, Sheffield, have been on an uncharacteristic poor run of results recently including a 2-1 loss at home to Glasgow last night.

The Giants, after a poor start that included two defeats in Sheffield, are beginning to find their best form of the season.

Both sides lie six points behind leaders Cardiff with the Steelers having two hames in hand and the Giants three.

It’s the first time the sides have met in Belfast this season.

Promises to be quite the game…

Image source, BBC Sport

Live text commentary of the Elite League clash between the Belfast Giants and Sheffield Steelers will appear here from 15:45, Sunday 15 December.