Fife Flyers:  this is why Super Saturday and Showdown Sunday are key to club's play-off aims

Despite an inconsistent campaign, they remain in control of their destiny.

They have a game in hand over Glasgow Clan - their challengers for eighth spot - but they must make it count when the teams go head to head at Fife Ice Arena on Sunday.

In times past, this game would have been a sell out.

Attendances in Kirkcaldy have dipped in recent seasons, but the rink should still host one of its bigger turnouts for a match which is as close as you can get to a ‘winner takes all’ in a regular season fixture.

While there are still three weekends of hockey to play in the regular season, there is no doubt, the results this weekend will go a long way to determining whether Flyers’ hit their pre-season goal of a play in the play-offs.

It would be the perfect time to pull out a four-point weekend, but for that to happen, the team has to bring its A-game both nights.

Flyers have won four of their five head to heads with Storm this season, two of them coming on Manchester’s small ice pad. Three of these matches have seen them net five or more goals - and scoring has been an issue all season.

Their record against Clan has been less consistent with one win in five starts. Those match-ups include one shoot out defeat and three one-goal hockey games.

Clan come to Kirkcaldy on the back of a long overnight bus trip to Guildford, and without their number one netminder John Muse who is out for the season. He has been a huge part of keeping them in hockey games throughout a poor, and often turbulent season on and off the ice.

Flyers have to exploit those factors to the hilt, and make the same barnstorming start that undid Nottingham Panthers last Saturday.

Todd Dutiaume, head coach, said: “That start was key. We came out with physicality, scored early and the atmosphere in the building was completely different.

Key forward Dillon Lawrence returned to training this week after the injury he sustained in the Challenge Cup final sidelined him at the weekend. Dutiaume will make late call on whether he dresses against Storm or Clan.

"He is a key centreman for us,” said the coach. “He skates well, is one of our best +/- guys on the team and a big penalty killer. He is important to us.”

The bigger picture shows Flyers also have a better run-in - Clan are playing all bar one of their games on the road which can be an unforgiving place.

Flyers’ final five games are: Saturday - Manchester (A); Sunday - Clan (H); March 25 - Cardiff (a); April 1 - Dundee (H); April 2 (Guildford) A.

Clan have just four fixtures in their pack, and none are remotely easy. Their schedule is: Saturday - Guildford (A); Sunday - Fife (A); March 25 - Nottingham (H); March 26 - Sheffield (A).

Whoever grabs eighth spot will go head to head with the league champions in the knockout quarter-finals.

Belfast Giants are red hot favourites to take the silverware as they power into the closing weeks of the season - they are five ahead of Guildford Flames who have a game in hand.

Todd Dutiaume, head coach, said: “Going to Manchester isn’t easy, but we have won there twice already and have a legitimate chance of two points.

“And whoever comes out with the points on Sunday gets the upper hand - a win for us puts Clan under huge pressure with a tough run-in.“With five games left we are trending in the right direction, but we have to be at the top of our game, because if we get eighth spot then it is more and more certain it could be Belfast who we face.”