Former National Hockey League (NHL) draft pick Brock Beukeboom warned his Glasgow Clan team-mates: “The next three games are crucial.”
Only two points separate fifth-placed Aspray Glasgow West sponsored Clan from Guildford Flames who are eighth in the Premier Sports Elite League and Glasgow visit play-off rivals Coventry Blaze on Wednesday (19.30pm) then host Dundee Stars on Saturday (19.00) before visiting Tayside on Sunday (17.00).
Coventry are sixth and Dundee seventh in the ten-strong Elite League table and the 29-year-old Canadian defenceman, once drafted by NHL cracks, Tampa Bay Lightning, said: “If we can sweep them all, or even get two out of three, it gets us closer to the play-offs.”
The 6ft 1in player said good defence is key and admitted the 8-2 defeat at out-of-form Guildford on February 20 was a real wake-up call. He added: “We’ve got 18 games left. It’s a tight race and these games count.”
Dundee, backed by Kitmart, are also in action hosting third-placed Cardiff Devils on Wednesday (19.30) and confidence is on a high after back-to-back wins over former league pace-setters Sheffield Steelers, 5-4 after a shootout in Yorkshire and 2-1 following sudden death overtime on Tayside.
Bottom club Fife Flyers sponsored by UNISON Fife Health Branch, host fourth-placed Nottingham Panthers (19.45) and are looking to build on Sunday’s come-from-behind, 3-2 overtime success over Coventry Blaze at Kirkcaldy.
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