Dutiaume looks for Fife to do better in Cardiff

Flyers are riding high in the EIHL standings, two positions and four points above Devils in second place, but they were humbled 7-2 in the Welsh capital on October 21 after embarking on a nine-hour bus journey in the early hours of the morning, almost straight after a win over Nottingham Panthers on home ice, in order to make an earlier face-off time of 4.00 p.m.

Dutiaume hopes a more well-rested Fife side will fare better and shake off the bus legs for tonight's 7.30 p.m face-off at Ice Arena Wales

"Hopefully we go down to Cardiff and give a better account of ourselves," Dutiaume said.

"I don't think we did that last time, where I felt we were disengaged, and part of that might have been getting on a bus at 4.30 in the morning after a game the night before.

"We won't let our players use that as an excuse, but it certainly didn't help us.

"It's still an early start and not ideal going all the way down there on the bus to play one game, but there's no game the night before and they'll get a night in their beds."

Cardiff Devils won both league and play-off honours last season but will head into tonight's fixture on the back of weekend defeats to Coventry Blaze and Nottingham Panthers, while Flyers snapped a two-game losing streak with an overtime win in Coventry on Sunday.

"The last two games have proven that teams are more than capable of beating this Cardiff team," Dutiaume said.

"They are not invincible."

Cardiff suffered a blow on the eve of the match with defenceman Ben Blood leaving the club to sign a two-year deal with Finnish side Tappara.

Flyers meanwhile may include Jordan Buesa after the youngster trained this week for the first time since getting injured against Glasgow Clan on October 5.