Elite League: Manchester Storm 2, Edinburgh Capitals 5; Braehead Clan 4, Dundee Stars 1; Belfast Giants 7, Fife Flyers 2; Cardiff Devils 8, Coventry Blaze 0.
Edinburgh Capitals snapped a two-game losing streak to keep their play-off hopes alive, writes Nigel Duncan.
They beat Manchester Storm 5-2 in the North-West after claiming four unanswered goals between the 19th and 58th minutes.
Karel Hromas, Ian Schultz, Michael O’Orazio, Jacob Johnston and Pavel Vorobyev netted while Jack Prince claimed a double for Storm.
Bottom club Capitals now have 31 points from 43 games and are five points adrift of second-bottom Dundee Stars who have played a game more.
Stars play-off hopes were dealt a blow with a 4-1 defeat at Scottish rivals Braehead Clan.
The victory secured the Gardiner Conference title involving the Elite League’s north-based clubs for the Glasgow outfit.
Cody Carlson, Matt Becca and Mike Hammond netted inside 12 minutes to give the home side a 3-0 lead.
Cale Tanaka pulled one back for Stars after 24 minutes but Alex Leavitt secured the win with a fourth four minutes later.
Stars are a point behind Coventry Blaze who lost 8-0 at league leaders Cardiff Devils and remain on 37 points from 46 games.
Sixth-placed Fife Flyers form slump continued when Steve Saviano claimed four goals as Belfast Giants whipped the Kirkcaldy club 7-2 in Northern Ireland.
The home side outshot the Scots 55-18 overall and Giants made sure of the points with four unanswered, third-period goals. Seb Thinel and Carlo Finucci netted for Fife who have lost their last four games.
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