The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Stars hoping change of fortune continues
Dundee targeting play-offs as breaks go their way in win over Braehead GB calls for Fife pair
Dundee Stars face another big weekend of games as the players claim that bounces are starting to go their way.
Stars came back from a goal down – twice – before taking the lead as they claimed their first win in Glasgow this season in their final regular season meeting with Braehead Clan.
Saturday’s victory not only boosted Stars’ chances of winning the final playoff spot, but also snapped a seven-game losing streak.
However, there is no time to celebrate as they travel to Nottingham tomorrow looking to rectify last Friday’s 3-1 loss on home ice. Dundee then return to Scotland to face Edinburgh Capitals for the last time this season.
Stars defenceman Cody Carlson has emphasised the importance of a win over Clan and says they will be “well prepared” for this weekend’s games.
He said: “Winning that game against Braehead was huge for us. We are closing in on them and are now only three points behind them with a few games in hand.
“It has definitely set up some momentum going into Nottingham then Edinburgh, so we just have to keep that going into this weekend.
“I think we have been working hard in the last few games, but we just haven’t got the bounces, but at Braehead we got a couple of bounces that we needed to go our way.
“You just have to keep working hard Reece Cochrane of Fife Flyers and Kirkcaldyborn Caly Robertson (Edinburgh Capitals) have been named in Great Britain (GB) under18 squad for the World Championship Division 2 Group A in Tallinn from April 1-7. and sticking with the systems and good things are going to happen.
“We have had good practices this week and we have seen Nottingham a few times now in the last two weeks.
“I think we know more about their style of play and how to play against them – we will be well prepared for Nottingham on Friday night.
“Edinburgh have kind of struggled as of late. We have been good against them the last few times, so we just have to play the same way and I think we will be OK.”
Since arriving in January, Carlson has played in 17 games for Dundee and has accumulated 16 points, including two game-winning goals.
He added: “I have been lucky. I have just been trying to do whatever I can to help get the win for the team.
“I am just putting a lot of pucks on net in the offensive zone, but I am not too worried about the points right now. All I am worried about is getting into that play-off spot.”
Meanwhile, forward Jimmy Jensen added: “It was an important game and at this stage of the season and with the position we are in we need to get every point we can, so the win against Braehead was huge for us.
“The points we got against Braehead have increased the morale in the team right now and I think last weekend we played well but it was not perfect like we wanted over the 60 minutes.
“I think what has changed is that recently we have had a lot of bounces against us but in Braehead it was the other way around.
“We were maybe a little bit lucky and that is maybe what we needed. Hopefully we will have more success with that in future games.
“Hopefully we can bring the same mentality from the big win over Braehead into this weekend.”
● Fife Flyers’ league meeting with Edinburgh Capitals was postponed yesterday due to the weather.