Flyers begin season post-mortem underway as players begin to head home

Hopes of a last gasp bid to grab the eighth and final qualifying spot were raised with a 4-0 shut out on Dundee Stars in Kirkcaldy on Saturday night, only to be dashed 24 hours later when they went down 5-0 at league runners-up Guildford Flames.

Flyers needed to win both games to qualify at the expense of Glasgow Clan, but found the tank empty after the long road trip south.

Todd Dutiaume, head coach, said: “The weekend summed up the season.

“We did the business on Saturday when we executed the plan and gave ourselves an opportunity to qualify, but we gave away a goal while on the powerplay early on, and that took the wind out our sails.

“When this team goes down two goals, and only scores an average of two goals, it becomes an exceptionally uphill battle.”

That lack of firepower has dogged Flyers since Shawn Cameron sustained a season-ending injury last autumn - his absence from the line-up was never fully replaced.

Janne Kivilahti led with 20 goals, one more than Zack Phillips, but there was a significant tailing off across the lines with a core of players registering low single figures.

Only four made it into double figures, and that included defenceman, Brayden Sherbinin.

“Goals conceded we were about sixth, but goals scored we were last. It wasn’t the goals against that killed us,” said Dutiaume, “it was the goals for.”

That will be one of the key areas to be reviewed in the post-season wash-up as the team holds one to one meetings with players before they start to head home.

Flyers ended the season in ninth spot, but it was a third poor campaign in a row after back to back wooden spoons.

Only the Challenge Cup provided real excitement as the team skated to a first ever final in Belfast - surpassing its initial goal for the season - where a hefty defeat at the hands of Giants triggered a slump in March when it needed to be firing on all cylinders.

Exit talks will start this week with players to get an indication of their plans.

“Some guys will want to head home quickly to see their families, but others will be around and may travel. It’s a busy few weeks - I’d rather have been planning for a play-off tie this week, and then held all the year-end talks.”