The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Flyers coach left frustrated but Stars see off Storm in thriller
Third period dominance not enough to appease Dutiaume
Fife Flyers coach Todd Dutiaume admitted to be “appalled” with the performance of his men in the first two periods against Belfast Giants.
The playcaller was particularly frustrated as the fixture was the club’s only Elite League game of the weekend.
The players picked it up in the third session and Dutiaume said: “The frustration is that as bad as we played we still could have won that hockey game.”
Fife lost 4-2 and are now eighth in the table with 12 points from 10 games.
They have now lost their last two league games, while injury-hit Belfast march on.
Their six game winning run has seen the Northern Irish team slip into the top three with 20 points from 15 games.
Dutiaume firmly believes his men could have halted Belfast’s winning run. He argued that he had prepared his men for the game all week but said they did not play in the first and second sessions.
He added: “We were the dominant team in the third period and the message to the players is that I do not think it is too much to ask to come out and play three periods of hockey.”
Fife were 3-0 down after 24 minutes to goals from John Kurtz, Darcy Murphy and Colin Shields.
Danick Gauthier pulled one back after 36 minutes and Ian Young made it 3-2 10 minutes later before Dutiaume withdrew goaltender Andy Iles to have six skaters.
Cole Jarrett made sure of the points with an empty net goal unassisted with 33 seconds left.
Dundee Stars came from behind to snatch a 5-4 home win over Elite League pace-setters Manchester Storm after penalty shots.
Stars coach Omar Pacha, who was at Manchester last season, said the victory was one the club really needed after losing five in a row, but it came at a price as several players, including Joey de Concilys, are now injured.
Pacha added: “The guys battled hard in what was a really entertaining game for the fans.
“We really needed those two points but we did not start well and went 2-0 down as we were our own worst enemy.
“But we took a time out, relaxed and moved the puck and we got the win we wanted.”