Fourteen straight defeats for Fife but Stars edge out Glasgow.

ICE HOCKEY: Fife side lose twice on the road – while Stars edge out Clan

The nightmare goes on for Fife Flyers who last night skidded to their 14th straight defeat in the Elite League.

The flagging Fifers lost 5-2 at home to Coventry on Saturday, but held out at mid-table Nottingham Panthers until less than 10 minutes from time.

Julian Talbot broke the deadlock and then Jacob Hansen scored with 10 seconds left on an empty net after Fife gambled.

Fife coach Todd Dutiaume withdrew their netminder to have six skaters but the move failed and Flyers slid to a 2-0 defeat.

The kingdom club now have only 25 points from 40 games and trail secondbottom Dundee Stars by seven points with both clubs having played the same number of matches.

Forward Kyle Just admitted that Flyers are desperately looking for answers in a bid to lift the Kirkcaldy team off the bottom of the table.

Just provided a frank assessment after Fife’s defeat by Blaze.

The 29-year-old said: “You can’t win hockey games giving up two goals inside the first eight minutes.”

Coventry marksman Luke Ferrara netted a double with Paul Crowder and Mike Cazzola netting consolations for the home side.

Ontario-born Just, who has extensive experience in European hockey, said: “It’s frustrating. We didn’t show up in the early part of the game.

“There were some factors outside our control but it was frustrating through the second and third periods. We feel a little helpless, frustrated.”

He admitted that Flyers did not look ready to play at the puck drop and added: “After eight, 10, 12 minutes we looked like we were ready to make a push.

“We came into the second period and it looked as if we were ready to make a push but it is tough to score goals when you are killing penalties.

“It’s tough. We’re all looking for answers right now.

“We all want to find the answers but what it is going to come down to is all of us sticking together as a group and doing the right things and eventually it is going to come.

“Every team we play right now is counting us out, which kind of takes the pressure off us, but at the same time we need to show more, we need to show up to win and the way we started that game tonight we are not going to get too many wins.

“To give up two goals in the first eight to 10 minutes is not how we are going to win hockey games.”

Stars boosted their hopes of a playoff spot with a 3-2 shoot-out win over Glasgow Clan on Saturday night.

Head coach Omar Pacha said: “It is a huge extra point. Of all games where there is an extra point we needed then it was definitely tonight’s.

“I thought from the drop of the puck we were dialled in. We talked about how we wanted to play on the road for the remainder of the season but especially tonight in Glasgow and next week in Fife.

“We wanted to be tighter defensively and make smarter decisions with the puck and obviously great offence by getting pucks behind their defence or getting shots through traffic and I thought all night that we were dialled in, in that aspect.

“Defensively, I thought we played a great game but anytime you go on the road you need some really solid goaltending and we got that, but overall I really liked the way we played.”

Chad Rau fired Clan ahead after 18 minutes but Egils Kalns levelled four minutes later.

Anthony Beauregard netted for Stars after 35 minutes before Marcus Jonsson levelled for the home side after 47 minutes, taking the game into sudden death overtime.

Stars goaltender Alex Leclerc stopped four penalty shots and ice-cool Kevin Dufour netted the winning penalty.

Stars visit Fife Flyers and host Guildford Flames this coming weekend.

Kyle Just of Fife Flyers admits the players are desperately seeking the answers to turn their disappointing season around.