Fife Flyers coach Tom Coolen believes his in-form squad are feeling really positive as they continue their quest for a slot in the top eight in the Elite League with a home joust against high-flying Belfast Giants at The Fife Ice Arena on Sunday (face-off 17.15).
The Northern Irish combine, sponsored by Stena Line, are third in the ten-strong table with 60 points from 47 starts, a record which achieved with 25 wins in regulation plus three in overtime. They have lost 15 games and four in overtime or in a shootout, scoring 156 goals and shipping 129.
That’s the third lowest goals against record behind the 95 conceded by runaway leaders Sheffield Steelers and second-placed Cardiff Devils who have let in 120.
Of course, Fife edged Devils in their last game, a shootout success at the Vindico Arena. Incidentally, a measure of that performance comes as Devils beat league pace-setters Sheffield Steelers 4-0 at the same venue in midweek.
Looking at the table, the Kirkcaldy club have 45 points from 48 starts, a record which includes 12 regulation wins and five in overtime.
Coach Coolen’s men have lost 20 games, 11 in overtime or a shootout, and they have scored 148 goals and let in 186.
Fife’s play-off position is precarious. They sit in the final qualifying spot and below them are Dundee Stars who have a game in hand and have accumulated 44 points while bottom club Nottingham Panthers have 40 points from 47 games.
Six games remain for Fife to make it to the end-of-season showcase and five of them are on home ice which, hopefully, encourages the club’s support to come out in numbers to cheer their favourites into the play-offs.
On Sunday, Fife will play in replica kit looking back to 1938 when Britain’s oldest professional ice hockey club was established and Coolen has a full squad to pick from.
And Fife are in form have collected four valuable points from back-to-back road wins. In fact, if you look at Fife’s recent record, they have collected nine points from a possible ten.
Wins at Cardiff (4-3) and Nottingham (3-1) were preceded by a 5-2 home success over Coventry Blaze, a 7-6 overtime reverse at home to Glasgow Clan only 24-hours after a 7-6 road win at Braehead and Flyers are confident going into the tough home clash.
PICTURE: Fife v Belfast earlier this season courtesy of the Elite League
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