Flyers coach has belief in squad

Todd Dutiaume believes his success-hungry Fife Flyers squad can achieve what they want in the Elite League.

But the experienced coach called on his men to take the immediate future game by game.

He said: “Winning is as contagious as losing. This group can accomplish what they want to accomplish.

“They are a wonderful group and I feel confident with this group.

“Our aim is to be playing their best hockey at the beginning of the play-offs.

“There are no easy draws (in the play-offs) and, right now, we hope the Gardiner Conference title win is just the beginning.”

The Gardiner Conference title-holders tonight entertain rock-bottom Edinburgh Capitals, who have struggled at Kirkcaldy so far this term.

A 6-2 loss was followed by a 10-1 hammering and the third meeting between the rivals ended 6-2 in favour of Fife.

Both teams, however, come into the game on the back of big defeats. Fife lost 8-1 at fifth-placed Sheffield Steelers on Sunday while Capitals were gunned down 10-1 by Nottingham Panthers.

Fourth-placed Fife are 49 points better off than Edinburgh having collected 60 points.

It has been a nightmare season for Capitals, who are now under co-coaches Jock Hay and captain Mike D’orazio, but Dutiaume does not want to become a prized scalp for the Murrayfield men.

The Edinburgh side edged then second-placed Belfast Giants in Northern Ireland recently and Fife’s coach is well aware of that.