The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
More expected of surging Fife
ICE HOCKEY: Four straight wins but coach says Flyers ‘have a way to go’
Todd Dutiaume yesterday saluted his Fife Flyers squad after their 7-2 demolition of Manchester Storm.
The demanding playcaller added, however: “I firmly believe we still have a way to go.”
The massive win on the club’s 80th birthday secured their fourth straight victory in all competitions.
Three of those victories have been in the Elite League and high-flying Fife are now second in the table with seven points from four games.
Dutiaume’s men next play on Friday at Braehead against Glasgow Clan in a Challenge Cup Group B fixture.
Clan have lost their last three league games and are eighth in the Elite League.
Dutiaume said: “We are definitely moving in the right direction.
“I firmly believe we have a way to go, but I was pretty pleased with the team’s performance (against Manchester).
“We have spoken about performance over the last three weeks and that is four wins on the trot.
“We have played progressively better through that stretch.
“Sunday was probably, for a big portion of the game, the best we have played all year.
“We looked composed, we looked as though we were hard-working and the crowd instantly responded.”
Meanwhile, Dundee Stars picked up their 100th home win and four points in a run of games head coach Omar Pacha described as the “worst schedule of his career”.
The Kitmart Stars now face reigning Elite League champions Cardiff Devils at home tomorrow before travelling south on Saturday for their first match against Guildford Flames.
Then on Sunday they welcome the Flames to Tayside.
Pacha believes performances last week will stand his players in good stead.
He said: “It was good, considering it is the worst schedule I have ever seen in my entire career.
“Fair play to the guys, they played four games in three different countries.
“I think against Sheffield we should have got the points but against Belfast it was a winnable game.
“We are playing good hockey and the good thing is that although we are not picking up the two points, we are still picking up points.
“From the last five games, the five points we lost, three were in overtime and two were in a one-goal game.”
Dundee collected three of four points available in their last two matches and Pacha said: “Any time we beat a team that is supposed to be in contention for the title (Belfast), that gives us confidence and in Milton Keynes it was our fourth game in five days and we managed to play the best period of our season. That is surprising and I was actually really satisfied with it.”
Dundee started the week with two injured players missing from their first game but were boosted by the return of Lukas Lundvald on Friday. However, Pacha said of Matt Bissonnette: “Hopefully he gets back Wednesday, if not then this weekend”.