Stars out to shine at home fortress

Dundee Stars are aiming for a fourth home win on the bounce when they host Nottingham Panthers tonight.

Jeff Mason’s men have turned Dundee Ice Arena into their fortress over the last four weeks and have a chance to extend their unbeaten run in Tayside against a Panthers side languishing sixth in the Elite League table.

Nottingham are expected to compete for silverware every season but sit tied with the Stars and Fife Flyers, who lie seventh and eighth, on 14 points.

After winning this season’s first contest between the two sides 6-2 in Nottingham, the English side suffered a 4-2 loss on their last visit to Dundee.

Mason said: “I expect Nottingham to come out quite hard this weekend as they have a new coach and have made some changes.

“The new coach wants them to play with more aggression, be much more offensive and fast-paced, so I expect them to come out hard.

“After listening to his interview, he is going to work them hard this week because he doesn’t feel they are in the best of shape.

“Usually when teams make changes like that it gives them a bit of a spark, so I expect a good fight from them and that means we need to get off to a good start.

“We are a much better team when we play from the front and are not chasing the game.”

Stars then head to Wales tomorrow for the first time this season as they visit Cardiff Devils.

Forwards Ben Brown and Hugo Reinhardt will be absent this weekend as the pair both have upper body injuries. Face-off for tonight’s home game is at 7pm, while tomorrow’s game starts at 6pm.

Fife Flyers thrashed Nottingham Panthers 6-1 in their Viaplay Elite League clash last night.

Dillon Lawrence, a pregame injury concern, gave the visitors a great start. He slotted home after 45 seconds to open the scoring before Janne Laakkonen made it 2-0.

Panthers reduced the leeway only for Laakkonen to make it 3-1. Brayden Sherbinin added a fourth with further goals following from Reece Cochrane and Sherbinin again.

Fife – who host Glasgow Clan tonight (7.15pm) – are now sixth in the league table.