Fife Flyers: focus on defence as coach bids to halt losing streak

The team suffered a painful 9-2 loss at Coventry Blaze on Sunday, just 24 hours after doing more than enough to earn a share of the spoils in a 5-4 defeat at the hands of Cardiff Devils.

In the Midlands, they were 1-0 down from the very first shot of the game, and by the end of the opening period were staring at a 4-0 deficit against a Blaze side that has exceeded all expectations this season.

Head coach Tom Coolen admitted it was hard to watch, noting: “We didn’t plan to be as bad as that - but that’s the way it turned out.”

He spent this week in training going over defensive strategies, analysing what went wrong - and getting the team set to get back to winning ways.

It has been a tough campaign so far with just one win in the last 14 league outings, and a see-saw ride which veers from solid performances against the top sides to losses the next night.

Flyers travel to Braehead Arena on Saturday to face Glasgow Clan in their last Challenge Cup game of the season.

It’s a dead rubber as far as the outcome is concerned - Flyers are already out of the competition - but it is important in terms of the performance.

They then host Sheffield Steelers at Fife Ice Arena on Sunday (5:15pm) - their second visit to Kirkcaldy is just two weeks.

Coolen is hopeful forward Austin Farley will return to the line up after missing several weeks through injury, but Kazakh forward Maxim Musorov is likely to remain sidelined.

He should also have young British player Aiden Wilson available. He has been training with the team this week, along with another Brit who may follow him into the roster.

The coach remains upbeat despite some the losses.

He said. “It is hard after a loss like we had at Coventry, and I’ve had a lot of time to contemplate over the last few days. There are positives, and I am old school - the only way to get out of this hole is to work our way out of it. No-one is going to do us any favours, we have to find the top of our game.

“We’ve shown that against Belfast,Sheffield and Cardiff, and we need to have the confidence to do that - we have to turn those positives into wins. We are being challenged to the limits every night and we have to respond to that. Our guys have to step up and find a way through.

“All we got to do is win - simple as that. Winning is the way forward. We will get the buzz back.

Coolen was delighted to see new signing Jordan Stallard make an instant mark as the former Manchester Storm centreman hit the net against Cardiff Devils and took the home side’s man of the match’ award, and on Sunday he formed a line with former Arcadia University team-mate Ryna Foss and fellow new signing Massimo Carazzo.

Coolen believes that may be another piece of the jigsaw slotted into place as he looks to find the right combinations ahead of a crucial December schedule which holds the key to Flyers’ enquire season.

“I put them together during the second period at Coventry and I liked a lot of what I saw,” said Coolen. “That was a bright spot for me. That’s a solid second line for us. Everyone got scored on in that game, but I saw something there. That line has potential. They have size and can play.”