In the battle for second place in the Elite League the Cardiff Devils skated away with a 6-3 win over the Belfast Giants at the SSE Arena.

The home team spotted the visitors to a 4-0 lead early in the second period with some pretty terrible defensive zone play and that essentially was game over.

The Giants played much better in the third period with an urgency and physicality that was lacking in the first thirty minutes of the game.

The big question Giants fans should ask is why did it take their team so long to show up?

A sellout crowd that were noisy from the first puck drop and wanted to get behind their team were left with little to cheer about until it was too late.

The two sides meet again on Sunday with a 16:00 face-off.

Image source, BBC Sport

That sends the fans to the exits.

Cole Ully gets his second of the game

The Giants had chances and Ben Bowns shut the door - his best save with the left lad from Daniel Tedesco

The Giants have tried hard but that is probably their last chance gone

Five minutes to go - can the Giants take advantage on the powerplay?

Giants rewarded for their best period of the game.

What a pass from Jeff Baum to pick out Josh Roach who roofs the puck over the diving Ben Bowns.

12 minutes to go and it's a two-goal game

With 20 minutes to go it's not like a Giants revival isn't possible.

It's just they don't look like they can shut the door at the other end.

Cardiff's game to lose...I don't think they will

Image source, Press Eye

For a while the second period looked like a game of pond hockey as both sides forgot about defence and just fired away.

It calmed down and the Devils still have a three-goal lead.

Image source, Press Eye

Fair to say neither side playing great defence.

Good patient play from David Goodwin as he finds Ben Lake without a Devil near him and he closes the gap to three

Image source, Press Eye

WIth the Giants enjoying a purple patch and on the powerplay this was the last thing they needed.

Henrik Eriksson misses the net from the left circle and the puck goes all the way around the glass and onto the stick of Trevor Cox who skates in and beats Jackson Whistle.

The Giants second powerplay certainly not as bad as the first.

They got set-up and Josh Roach finds Oliver Cooper who scores

Suddenly the building has a little life to it

Image source, Press Eye

From bad to worse to getting embarrassing for the Belfast Giants.

Another turnover and Tyler Busch scores.

Tyler Beskorowany pulled (not his fault) and Jackson Whistle now between the pipes

Image source, Press Eye

Too easy for Cardiff. Cole Sanford's pass from the blueline is turned in by Evan Mosey as the Giants defence went to sleep.

No back check, no picking up Mosey as he went to the net.

I can only imagine that Giants coach Adam Keefe wasn't happy at the end of the first period.

Will his side fight back in the middle period?

Puck dropped and off we go....

Image source, Press Eye

Daniel Tedesco had another opportunity late in the period for the Giants but Bowns made the save.

The Devils have looked comfortable and good value for their two-goal lead

Image source, Press Eye

Devils first powerplay sharp and effective....

Giants first powerplay looked like the five guys had never played a shift together before

The Giants have been all over the place defensively and an awful turnover leads to a simple tap-in for Cole Ully.

Giants have had a couple of chances from Daniel Tedesco who forced Ben Bowns into a couple of saves but it's not a great start for the home side.

Image source, Press Eye

Giants fans not happy with the slashing call on Henrik Eriksson and even less chuffed when the Devils score through Cole Sanford

Image source, Press Eye

Tyler Beskorowany for the Giants and Cardiff's Ben Bowns are the starting netminders.

They've decided more than a few games between these sides over the past five years.

Giants new signing Blake Speers doesn't ice tonight.

The puck is dropped and we are underway....

It's a huge double header at the SSE Arena this weekend as the Belfast Giants face the Cardiff Devils.

With both sides chasing down leaders Sheffield, and some distance behind already, a split series is something neither team can afford if they're to have any chance of catching the Steelers.

The sides have a win each against each other so far this season, with the road team coming out on top both times.

The Devils are in second place, sixteen points behind Sheffield with the Giants a point further back.

It's usually a great weekend of hockey every season.

Image source, BBC Sport