Fife Flyers squad are anxious to extend their current three-game winning streak in all competitions by taking the scalp of another top three team on Saturday.
It’s a massive ask as Cardiff Devils have won all three jousts so far this term, taking six points while Fife have earned one from an overtime defeat at Kirkcaldy on Fife 3, Cardiff 4 on October 23.
Flyers, supported by Wolseley, then lost 7-4 in The Principality on November 2 and 3-0 at home on November 27.
However, the narrow overtime success over Coventry Blaze, who have been in the top five this season, followed by a 4-1 victory over Dundee Stars 24-hours later and then the 3-2 win over second-placed Sheffield Steelers, who have also topped the table this term, at The Fife Ice Arena in the Viaplay Challenge Cup, semi-final, first-leg, on Wednesday has boosted confidence.
Fife will undoubtedly need to be on top form to beat Cardiff on their own ice. The Welsh combine are third in the ten-strong table with 51 points from 34 games. Fife are ninth in the table, and out of the play-off places, with 24 points from 36 fixtures.
The Welshmen have scored 126 goals and let in 85 while Fife have netted on 86 occasions and shipped 126 goals.
That’s a big gulf but Jeff Hutchins, Fife’s associate coach, said Fife are now playing play-off hockey and he wants them to continue with the same intensity as they strive for much-needed points.
Brayden Sherbinin, one of the club’s assistant captains, has been a key player for the this term. The 29-year-old defenceman is fourth in the club’s individual scoring charts with eight goals and 14 assists in 35 games.
He is behind Zack Phillips who has 15 goals and 20 assists from 36 outings, Janne Laakkonen with nine goals and 17 assists in 36 games and Janne Kivilahti with 16 goals and nine assists in 34 fixtures.
He scored the winner against Sheffield Steelers on Wednesday and he is determined to extend the winning run and take his goal tally for the season to date to 13.
PICTURE: ACTION from the Challenge Cup courtesy of Viaplay Elite League and Flyers Images
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