Fife Flyers: Cardiff ease to victory as Flyers give what they can with what they have left

A 6-2 loss at home to Fife Flyers was their 21st defeat in 22 outings; a streak that saps every ounce of energy from limbs as well as minds.

You can see the toll it is taking on a team that has gone through every possible setback and moment of adversity. The players deserve credit for lacing up and giving what they have for as long as they have, but there is little respite in sport, even less sympathy.

Devils arrived late, stepped straight off the bus and still controlled this game in which both teams were short-benched.

It was 3-0 after one period of hockey, and there was no comeback from that. The pushbacks Fife did have - and there were a couple - were undone by a second of hesitation, a lack of concentration or simply a poor pass. It’s hard to see where the next win may come from, and there is still a lot of hockey to be played before the skates can be hung up. It is desperately sad to watch.

Devils managed the game from the start, opening the scoring in the second minute as Joey Martin dispatched Evan Mosey’s pass to the back post into the net.

Flyers scorned a couple of decent chances before Brad Shoonbaert turned home a rebound off a Cody Donaghey shot at 7:28, and Mosey’s counter at 14:57 pretty much sealed this game early on.

The middle period was tied 1-1 as it fell into a lull, with Flyers striking first through Dan Krenzelok skating on to a pass and getting in behind Devils’ defencemen at 37:20, but it was cancelled out when Khen Olischefski danced across goal to find the net at 39:28.

The period ended with some handbags as Phelix Martineau caught Cody Donaghey which a check, which he returned before some punches were thrown - double minors for roughing all round and an extra cross-check against an unhappy Cardiff skater.

Flyers’ powerplay didn’t really get going - its penalty kill was better however - and the opportunity to get a toe hold in the game was lost.

The third period was little more than three minutes in when Cole Sanford swept home a pass from Andrew McWilliam at the back post as Flyers again gave up time and space in their own zone.

Massimo Carozza hauled one back at 46:14, but the last word went to Mosey firing straight into Flyers net in the last minute. Cardiff’s sixth goal, like all the others, was met with stony silence