Fife Flyers travel to Elite League pace-setters, Belfast Giants, minus three players, David Booth, Josh Winquist and Logan Neilson.
It Flyers’ final trip of the regular season to Belfast (face-off 7pm) before entertaining second-placed Cardiff Devils on Sunday (17.00). They are making their final scheduled visit to The Fife Ice Arena this term.
Giants blew Fife away 9-0 on their last league visit on Boxing Day and Flyers’ historian confirms that Flyers have only won three of their 33 trips across the Irish Sea.
Goals for numbers 65 and goals against 180 and Flyers are looking to end a seven-game losing streak against Adam Keefe’s men.
Sunday’s game provides more room for optimism as Fife edged Devils 3-2 when they last met in the Kingdom on Sunday, November 30, a double from Josh Winquist an a single from Keaton Jameson doing the damage.
Overall, the sides have met each other on 35 occasions at Kirkcaldy and Fife have won ten, scoring 89 goals against 133 in return.
Russell has again stressed the need for points during every weekend if the club want to make the top eight which guarantees a slot in the play-offs.
Currently, Fife have 18 points from 36 games, three adrift of fellow-strugglers, Dundee Stars, who are on 21 points from 33 starts. Glasgow Clan occupy the final play-off slot on 33 points from 35 fixtures.
At the other end of the table, Giants have 54 points from 34 fixtures and have scored 131 goas and let in 69, the best record in both departments of any team this season.
Cardiff have 50 points from 35 games and they have netted on 124 occasions and shipped 79.
In contrast, Fife have scored 80 and let in 167. Only Dundee have scored fewer goals for, a total of 78.
That shows the enormity of the task. Logan Neilson is playing for Great Britain at Murrayfield in the European Cup of Nations.
