Fife Flyers: we need to cut out mistakes and get back to winning ways – Tom Coolen

The club’s 4-3 loss to Nottingham Panthers wrecked hopes of a four-point weekend which would have kept them off the bottom of the league, and well within touching distance of seventh-placed Glasgow Clan. That gap has now moved to five points, with Flyers four off eighth spot held by Manchester Storm - and their rivals all have games in hand.

Coach Tom Coolen has his sights firmly set on the play-offs, but he goes into the weekend with injury worries over his defenceman which will mean potentially more long shifts for those who lace up. Captain Jonas Emmerdahl didn’t train on Wednesday and may miss the action - if so that would cut the roster to four import defencemen which Coolen admits is not ideal.

“Emmer is a big part of our team and our penalty kill,” he said. “He blocks so many shots - two Panthers’ goals came because we didn;t block shots. Guys got tired.”

On the positive side, Shane Owen returned to the ice for the first time since leaving the game against Belfast Giants before Christmas. He was joined by Kevin Lindskoug who is providing emergency cover, and could take on his former club, Guildford Flames, who come to Fife Ice Arena on Saturday.

Lindskoug and defenceman Kevin Wehrs both make their debuts at the weekend - for veteran Wehrs it was his first competitive action since the end of last season. Blue-liner Stephen Desrocher remains on the Injury Reserve (IR) list, and Coolen is hoping that his roster stays healthy as he pushes into the second half of the campaign.

“Our goal is the top eight,” he said. “We’re going to push for it. When we are healthy and rested we know we can compete with all the teams in this league.”He was frustrated to see two points dropped to a Panthers side that was short benched on on an eight-game losing streak. We made a couple of mistakes at inopportune moments, and they scored, and that changed the game,” he said.”Hockey is a game of mistakes - but you try to minimise them.”Coolen planned to sit and go through the issues with his players on Thursday: “We have to adjust and make sure we don’t repeat them, “ he said.

On Sunday Flyers head south to take on Coventry Blaze.

> Flyers’ game against Guildford is the first ‘bring a buddy’ night where season ticket holders can bring a friend along - the initiative also runs for the Cardiff Devils game on Sunday, January 28.