Fife look to beat Belfast for first time in crunch Elite League clash

Fife Flyers need to re-write the form book if they are to claim points from tonight’s Elite League home clash with Belfast Giants.

The Kirkcaldy club have yet to record a win in the four games with the Northern Irish combine this term.

Giants won the first game in October and the second in November 4-2. The sides then drew 3-3 at Kirkcaldy before Fife were thrashed 7-0 in the return in January.

It’s Fife’s penultimate home game of the regular season and are against an on-form side.

Both Fife and Belfast are battling for third place and are level on 64 points each.

Flyers welcomed back Liam Heelis to the line-up last weekend but Evan Bloodoff, Andy Iles and Ian Young are still not available for selection.

Newly-crowned Challenge Cup champions Belfast come into the game on the back of a 6-4 home win over Nottingham Panthers on Sunday.

The victory was a muchneeded boost after Saturday’s 5-3 home defeat to play-off chasing Braehead Clan.

Giants carry real danger and one of the men to watch is 37-year-old Glaswegian Colin Shields.

He was selected 195th overall in the 2000 NHL draft by the Philadelphia Flyers and the Team GB star played his first season as a Giant in 2005/06.

Shields is Giants all-time leading points scorer and goalscorer, playing in more than 500 games, posting 200 goals and being involved in more than 300 assists.

Another man to watch is forward Brendan Connolly who joined from Rungstead where he helped the team to the Danish Championship.

Flyers hold their awards night on Wednesday March 28 at The Bay Hotel, Kinghorn. Tickets go on sale tonight from the Flyers travel club booth during the first and second period breaks.

Meanwhile, former Flyers star Brendan Brooks, who now plays for Braehead Clan, has been included in Great Britain’s 28-strong squad for their pre-world Championship training camp.