Injury-hit Stars target derby win to revitalise season

Dundee Stars want to get back on track and can claim their first win in the conference with a victory over local rivals Fife Flyers tonight.

Stars head for Kirkcaldy for a derby clash in the Gardiner Conference at Fife Ice Arena.

Once again Dundee’s injury problems will disadvantage them and they go into this weekend without at least four players, although, despite still being doubtful, Joey De Concilys and Jimmy Jensen could return to the line-up.

Omar Pacha will hope for the return of Jensen as he has already bagged a hattrick in one game against the Flyers, while Chris Lawrence and Johan Andersson have both grabbed two goals against their biggest rivals and Jordan Cownie, Malcolm Gould and Riley Stadel have netted one each in the previous three meetings.

For the Fife men, Danick Gauthier, Peter LeBlanc, Liam Heelis and Carlo Finucci have already put multiple goals past Travois Fullerton and will look to do the same as they want to continue their strong home form against the Stars.

Todd Dutiaume’s Flyers have lost their last two games, with their last win coming in overtime against the Sheffield Steelers in October. Meanwhile Dundee lost their last game 8-2 in Sheffield on Wednesday, following a win against the Manchester Storm in a shoot-out victory the previous weekend.

Dundee Comets defenceman Kris Inglis, who is on a two-way contract with the Stars, has had to step up in this challenging time for Dundee. He said: “The amount of injuries our team has experienced in the past couple of weeks has been unbelievable, but of course it has given me an opportunity to step up and get more ice time.

“I’m really enjoying the step up from SNL and getting the chance to play. The guys on the back end have helped me a lot and their experience is making the jump for me a lot easier.”

Kris added “The result in Sheffield obviously isn’t what we had hoped for but hopefully a big performance on Saturday in Fife will get us going for Sunday and by the time we have a full roster again we will be flying.”

Dundee head coach Pacha said: “It is a big conference game. It will be tough to go into Fife with a depleted line-up but we will still compete and give everything we have.”

Flyers assistant coach Jeff Hutchins stressed the need for his men to concentrate for the full game against the Stars.

“Dundee are a fast, skilful team and they work hard. Our message to the guys is that we need to be competitive as they will come here looking for points,” he said. “And we can’t ease up. Last week we lost at home to Belfast but we still could have won that game if we had committed to 60 minutes.”

Tomorrow Stars return to Dundee Ice Arena to face Challenge Cup Group A leaders Belfast Giants.

Kris Inglis has made the step-up from the Dundee Comets as Stars are in the midst of an injury crisis.