No room for Fife complacency, says Hutchins

Fife Flyers’ coaching staff hope the addition of former Sheffield Steelers forward Brady Ramsay can lift their high-flying squad for the visit of bottom club Edinburgh Capitals tonight.

The Murrayfield men have only won three of 32 fixtures so far this term and have lost their last 14 games.

They are rooted to the bottom of the Elite League with seven points while third-placed Fife have 42 from 28 games and have won their last seven league games.

Fife assistant coach Jeff Hutchins said there would be no room for complacency as the Kirkcaldy club eye silverware this season and are only a point behind second-placed Belfast Giants and eight adrift of long-time leaders Cardiff Devils.

Fife were beaten 7-0 at Belfast in the Challenge Cup quarter-final second-leg on Tuesday – but Hutchins said that it could have been a different story had Fife levelled at 1-1.

They didn’t and when the score went to 4-0 bosses iced some fringe members to give senior players a rest.

Hutchins felt the scoreline did not totally reflect Fife’s performance and the message to the squad is to bring their ‘A game’ back to Rosslyn Street against Capitals.

They have beaten Edinburgh 6-2 and 10-1 so far this term on Fife ice and he said: “Belfast are a very good team and we need to get back to playing our system well after the disappointing loss the other night.”

Fife travel to play ninth-placed Coventry Blaze tomorrow.

Flyers defenceman Reece Cochrane and Kirkcaldy-born Caly Robertson, who plays for Edinburgh Capitals, are named in the initial GB U18 squad for the World Championship in Tallinn, Estonia, from April 1-7.