The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Stars and Flyers set for battle again as play-offs loom
Dundee Stars play host in the second last derby of the season tomorrow as they aim to end a five-game losing streak against Fife Flyers.
Dundee were victorious in the first five games against Fife this season but the Flyers finally won in the last meeting in December.
The Stars took 3-1 and 3-2 (shoot-out) wins in the Challenge Cup group stage before beating the Kirkcaldy club in the next two games, 3-0 and 4-3 (shoot-out).
Omar Pacha’s side made it five wins in a row over their biggest rivals with a 5-4 victory on home ice before losing 3-0 in Kirkcaldy the following night.
Stars do not have the best form coming into the weekend, as they failed to snap their losing streak last week after an overtime loss to Milton Keynes Lightning before being beaten twice by Glasgow Clan in three days.
However Flyers, who face Coventry tonight, have put together a two-game winning streak after beating Manchester Storm 2-1 on Sunday evening.
Goals from Danick Gauthier and Bari McKenzie lifted them to a victory despite the feisty overspill at the end of the game which saw two Storm players banned and Fife’s Evan Stoflet suspended for six games.
Dundee’s 5-1 loss to Clan on Tuesday meant that Fife were dethroned as Gardiner Conference Champions.
The Tayside club were dealt a huge blow this week as it was confirmed that their top points scorer, François Bouchard, has been ruled out for the next three to six months.
The Canadian’s season was ended with Stars in eighth place and 15 games left in the Elite League campaign but he is also the leading points scorer against the Flyers this season with seven points in six games.
Stars head coach Pacha has seen his injury list grow as Mike Sullivan went off injured on Tuesday at Braehead after blocking a shot with his face.
Sullivan’s return from the injury is yet to be given a timescale but the defenceman is set to undergo surgery.
Dundee played all of last week without defender Petr Chaloupka because of an upper body injury and it is unknown if he will be fit to play this week.
Pacha said: “We just have to get back to basics and see who is healthy enough for Sunday.
“We just have to get back to what we are good at and well defensively.”
“It will be tough, it is always tough but we have to make sure we out-work other teams and we capitalise on our chances.
“We have to be bolder and make sure we go to war.”
Fife meet Coventry first but Dundee have tonight off, although, Pacha does not think it will give his side a big edge over Fife.
“We just have to prepare for the game on Sunday,” he said. “Sometimes it is easier to play on Saturday but we just have to use that to our advantage. It is maybe a good opportunity to get an extra few days off and let the guys rest.”
Stars’ general manager also shared his message to the fans ahead of the last home derby of the season.
He said: “Our backs are against the wall, so the guys have to push and we know the rink can get really, really loud.
“It is a great rivalry, we always get packed houses, so we are just going to try and give them something to cheer about.”
The Flyers were missing five players from their squad on Sunday. Reece Cochrane, Chris Wands, Calum Robertson, Craig Douglas and Chase Schaber did not ice for Todd Dutiaume’s line-up.
Tomorrow’s game at DIA will face-off at 5pm.