Fife Flyers' injury update as team set for crucial December campaign

The team is still looking to bring in re-enforcements as they prepare to skate through 13 games this month - four of them across the festive season which is often key to a team’s play-off aspirations.

Flyers’ schedule includes the two-legged Challenge Cup quarter-final showdown with Dundee Stars which offers them a real chance of making the last four of the competition for the very first time.

Key to success will be an improvement in their home form with just two wins in ten starts at Fife Ice Arena.

Flyers’ weekend results mirrored their season so far with a fine 5-1 win over Manchester Strom on ther tight ice pad at Altrincham followed by a lacklustre performance in a 3-0 defeat at home to Cardiff Devils 24 hours later.

Todd Dutiaume, head coach, admits the record could be better, but points to several factors - including a lack of bodies, and a number of players carrying knocks.

“With the exception of two games we have played decent hockey,” he said. “We’ve gone to overtime several times and not won those, and we need to find ways of doing that.”

Dutiaume is looking for his team to bounce back this weekend and continue their winning ways over Nottingham when they head south for Friday’s game before turning his attention to the visit of Glasgow Clan on Saturday.

Flyers’ west coast rivals have started to recover after a nightmare start to the season where a run of 16 losses saw two defeats at home to Fife - and that could set the scene for a cracking game which will hopefully bring more fans back through the door.

Flyers go into the weekend with several players carrying knocks, while centre Dillon Lawrence is back in training and still rated as day to day.

A sweep of points would be the perfect launchpad into a month which could define their season.

Dutiaume said: “We are behind the top five. If we push through Christmas and come out on top of the group we are in then we can start to draw down the team in fifth.

“It’s a pivotal month. We have to find ways to get games over the line. We haven’t won in overtime yet but been there three times, and when we played Coventry it went to the last minute - we need to turn matches like that into wins.”

The coaching staff continue to look for new signings to bolster the line-up and, specifically, replace Shawn Cameron whose season was ended with a torn cruciate ligament.

He underwent surgery last week and all indications are the operation went well, allowing him to begin a prolonged period of rehab.

“There are players out there we are interested in,” said the coach, “It’s important o bring in bodies and give us the leverage to rest guys who are injured and change the line-up. Playing short is tough - it affects everything from training to how players approach games mentally.

“You can grind out a result, but to do that on the road and ask them to come back to home ic and do it again takes its toll on the body.”