Flyers brushed aside by Devils in play-off

Fife Flyers were brushed aside 6-0 by Cardiff Devils yesterday in the Elite League’s third and fourth place play-off at Nottingham.

Luke Piggott and Chris Jones both scored doubles, with Ryan Russell and Jake Morissette netting singles in the rout.

The Welsh side, who were longtime leaders of the Elite League before being pipped by Sheffield Steelers, were 3-0 ahead after 15 minutes.

Two more goals arrived in the second session, and Devils achieved their shutout with a sixth less than four minutes from time.

Fife had lost 4-1 to Nottingham Panthers in their semi-final on Saturday, while Cardiff were beaten 6-2 by defending champions Coventry Blaze.

Stephen Schultz and Kevin Quick netted as Nottingham Panthers edged Coventry Blaze 2-0 in the final at Nottingham yesterday.

Todd Dutiaume believes the physical exertions of beating Scottish rivals Braehead Clan to make the final four of the Elite League play-offs may have taken its toll on his side.

Flyers, Scotland’s last hopes, were second best to Nottingham on Saturday, and Dutiaume could not hide his disappointment at missing out on a berth in the final for a second time.

The experienced Canadian did, however, praise his squad. They found their form in the final two months of a gruelling campaign.

The coach reflected: “This is our second time here and, unfortunately, we’ve stumbled at the first hurdle both years now.

“It’s an accomplishment in itself getting here, and we’ve got a lot to be proud of as we’ve gone through some adversity and come good in the end. But it takes that something extra special to go the extra mile.”

He added: “Last weekend (against Braehead) was incredibly emotional and draining on the physical side. That series tested both teams right to the limit.

“Maybe we peaked last weekend.”

Ryan Dingle was the Flyers’ scorer on Saturday.