Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Derby double weekend for
OVER the last few weekends Dundee Stars’ matches have been described, rightly so, as big games as they made their push for the play-offs.
However, they don’t come much bigger than this weekend’s fixtures when nearest rivals Fife Flyers are the opponents.
The two lock horns in Fife Ice Arena, Kirkcaldy tomorrow night (face-off is at 7.15pm), before returning to Dundee Ice Arena on Sunday for the return game with the earlier face-off at 5pm.
After last weekend’s defeats at the hands of Braehead Clan, who opened up a five-point gap over Stars in the race for that all-important eighth place, The Taysiders must take four points from the two games to keep in touch with Clan, even with Dundee’s two games in hand.
Flyers, on the other hand, are looking for full points to keep their hopes of winning the Gardiner Conference, as well as looking to finish in their highest position ever in the main Elite League standings.
Fife also play Braehead Clan tonight and, if they win that, coupled with two victories against Stars, this will see them crowned conference champions.
Stars of course, will be out to make sure that doesn’t happen, having already taken six points in their last three meeting against the Flyers.
The Fifers also suffered a shock 3-2 home defeat against Coventry Blaze last Saturday and, although they beat Edinburgh in Murrayfield the following night, the defeat saw them slip to fourth place in the league.
Stars are also facing pressure from Coventry Blaze, who sit one place below them in the table and who have play-off ambitions of their own.
The Taysiders are currently one point above Blaze but have two games in hand. Both teams are due to meet on league duties twice more this season, so it’s important Dundee keep picking up points until the end of March.
Stars coach Omar Pacha said of the weekend’s matches: “Every single game from now until the end of the regular season is like a play-off game.
“They are all huge and that includes the two games against Fife this weekend. Both teams are going for the points for different reasons but we are determined to pick up points from every single game now.
“The situation is still in our hands. If we play five on five like we did against Belfast on Wednesday, we will be OK.
“If we win all of our matches — we