Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
ROUND-UP Great weekend as Stars secure vital victories
DUNDEE CCS Stars enhanced their play-off prospects with two vital wins against their fiercest rivals Fife Flyers.
On Saturday, Stars travelled to Kirkcaldy and came back from two goals down to win 4-3.
They followed that with a 4-2 victory in Dundee Ice Arena last night to claim four points from their two games that saw them leapfrog Coventry Blaze to sit in eighth position in the standings, a position that would see them qualify for the play-offs.
In a hectic match in Kirkcaldy, Ryan Dingle of Fife was awarded two minutes for slashing with only four minutes on the clock.
Instead of Stars taking advantage of the extra man, it was the home side that shocked their opponents by scoring two short-handed goals i n the space of a minute.
Chase Schaber put Flyers ahead and that was followed by a second goal from Brendan Brooks.
On 11 minutes, Fife were again in penalty trouble as Carlo Finucci was given two minutes for tripping.
This time the visitors did make the extra man count when Mikael Lidhammar pulled a goal back with a low drive.
Fife’s Matt Sisca sat out a two minute minor for tripping and Dundee, again with the extra man, squared the game at 2-2 through Felix Poulin.
Stars went 3-2 up through Cale Tanaka.
In 50 minutes, Flyers tied the game. Stars were appealing for a too many men on the ice penalty as Justin Fox fired past Joe Fallon.
Stars’ Poulin was given a two minute penalty for holding and, just over a minute later, Tanaka was also sent to the bin for interference, leaving Fife on a five on three but they failed to make the two extra men count.
When Poulin left the box, he picked up the loose puck and struck Stars’ fourth.
Fife pulled Owen in favour of the extra skater but couldn’t get the equaliser and Stars skated out the game for a 4-3 win and two vital points.
Flyers took the lead in Dundee Ice Arena last night after 11 minutes when a shot from Schaber took a deflection off Poulin and flew into the Stars’ net.
Stars levelled the game when Justin Faryna hit a low shot into the net for 1-1.
Seventy-four seconds into the middle session, Stars took the lead when Faryna set up Joey Sides to fire the puck past Owen to give the home side a 2-1 advantage.
Stars almost increased their lead when Kevin Hart saw his shot go just wide after a pass from Lidhammar.
Philippe Paquet was sent to the penalty box on 34 minutes on a holding penalty but, despite several opportunities in front of goal, Stars couldn’t take advantage of the extra man and the game remained at 2-1.
Flyers were dominating the period and their pressure paid of on 37 minutes when Kevin Bruijsten struck to make it 3-1.
With two minutes remaining in the second stanza, Stars had another powerplay when Fox was penalised for unsportsmanlike conduct but the Flyers defence held firm and the home side went into the final session ahead by 3-1.
Dundee’s superiority in the period was confirmed by the shots on goal where Stars had 15 to Flyers’ five.
Flyers started the final period brightly and pulled a goal back after two minutes when Schaber netted.
Fife pressed for the equaliser and, with just over t wo minutes left on the clock, they pulled Owen in favour of the extra skater.
Stars sealed the points with an empty net goal from Brett Switzer on 58 minutes to give them a 4-2 victory.