The Trade-Mart Dundee Stars have only one fixture this weekend and tonight they face Guildford Flames on the road in a must-win fixture if they are to hold onto a playoff spot.

By Kris Smith

The Stars are 31 games into their Elite League season, more than anyone else but sit in the eighth and final playoff spot with 24 points, but only three points separates from them Manchester Storm in ninth.

The English side have played four games less and face Fife Flyers in Manchester this evening but Dundee can also look up the way as they sit just two points behind Glasgow Clan going into the weekend.

Marc LeFebvre’s men have winning record so far this season in Surrey as they were victorious on their only previous visit and came back from 4-1 down to take the win after penalties.

Charlie Dodero and Mike Crocock had the Flames in front in the first period before Kameron Kielly put the Taysiders on the board but Charlie Curti and Matt Alvaro would extend the home team’s lead to 4-1 in the second session.

 

 

Domenic Alberga would then pull Dundee back into the game when he made it 4-2 and in the third period, Zach Tsekos’ and Alex Tonge’s goals would tie the game up with only 90 seconds left in regulation, before Jake Elmer netted the winning penalty shot.

Paul Dixon’s side took revenge in the most recent meeting back in November as they were 3-1 winners at the DIA but last weekend, Guildford lost their only match, still gaining a point however as they were beaten 5-4 in overtime by the Clan in Glasgow.

Meanwhile, the Stars were 5-2 winners in Kirkcaldy over basement club, Fife Flyers on Saturday as they extended their winning streak over their local rivals to six games.

Although, the weekend would end on a disappointing note for Dundee as they were then beaten 4-1 at home by Nottingham Panthers last Sunday.

 

 

Discussing their only game of the weekend, Stars Head Coach, Marc LeFebvre said: “We have to have a dog-like mentality and we have to work like dogs for the rest of the season, not just this game but for the last 23 games that we have left.

“It is a game seven mentality that we have to have if we want to secure a spot in the playoffs and we know the situation we are in, which is every point counts, so we cannot take a night off.

“We have given away too many points so far this season but we can make up for that with a strong performance down the stretch in the last part of the season.”

With the Stars also being able to ice a full line-up again every night, he continued: “It is good having that internal competition again as guys have to prove that they want to be in the line-up and prove that they want to help us win a championship.

“They all have to want to get into the playoffs and then want to win a championship, so there is two parts to that and the third part is in reality, if guys want to win contracts for next year whether that be here or elsewhere and they want me to give them a good reference, then they need to have strong finishes to their season.

“That will get them on the radar of other clubs and leagues as well, if they did not want to comeback to the UK and there is a lot to play for these guys, not just playoff championship aspirations but career aspirations also, so there is a lot on the line here in these last couple of months.”

Face-off for tonight’s game in Guildford is at 6pm.

All images: John Uwins.

Latest News
Trade-Mart Dundee Stars Team
40 Games
16 Wins
20 Losses
4 OT Losses
36 Points