Mistakes continue to prove costly for Fife Flyers, according to coach Tom Coolen, as he attempts to drive his men into the top eight of the Elite League.
The Kirkcaldy club host Guildford Flames on Saturday (face-off 19.15) and they are desperately in need of points. Fife have met Guildford on five occasions so far this term. In the league the Scots lost 2-0 in Surrey in early December and 5-2 at Guildford on November 5 but won 3-0 at Kirkcaldy on October 21.
In the Challenge Cup, Flames won the first-leg 3-1 at Kirkcaldy on December 6 and took the second-leg 3-2 in Surrey on December 132.
Coolen (pictured), however, continues to remain up-beat despite dropping two points at home last Sunday to Nottingham Panthers, a side who arrived on an eight-game winless streak and short-benched, and the potential loss of a key defenceman.
Captain Jonas Emmerdahl’s inclusion will be a game-time decision.
Again last Sunday, two Panthers goals came as a result of players not blocking shots. Emmerdahl is a key element on penalty kill and the team overall.
No 1 goaltender Shane Owen, sidelined through injury for recent games after being hurt at Belfast Giants just before Christmas, has been back on the ice and Coolen said Emmerdahl and Owen would be game-time decisions. He has emergency goalie cover in Kevin Lindskoug. He formerly played for Flames.
Coolen’s goal is a place in the top eight at the end of the regular season and he said: “When we are healthy and rested we can compete with teams in this league.”
Against Panthers, he said, his men made “a couple of mistakes” and he has gone into that aspect ahead of Saturday’s home joust.
The coach added: “Ice hockey is a game of mistakes. Minimise them and score a big goal or two then you are in business. It is difficult, however, to play a perfect game. We’ve won two out of three and we’re hoping to make it three out of four on Saturday. Yes, we are disappointed at not taking four points last weekend after our great win in Belfast but injuries left us short of cover.
“We need everybody to be fit and healthy to be successful but I’m not going to dwell on that. We’ll wait until game time to decide on Emmerdahl and Owen but we have cover for Owen in Kevin Lindskoug who played against Belfast and Nottingham.”
For the record, Flyers head for Coventry Blaze on Sunday (face-off 17.30) and Coolen said: “Guildford are a very good team with speed and we’ll deal with Coventry after Saturday’s game at the Fife Ice Arena.”
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