Fife Flyers’ crucial defeat in bid to make play-offs

But mentally? That’s a very different question.

A 5-2 defeat at the hands of Manchester Storm on Saturday night drove a five-point gap between the teams.

It is far from a done deal, but that is how it feels with two months of the season yet to play.

Fife are a team in search of a spark, never mind a lifeline, and every single passing game only serves up the same shortcomings, the same pattern of individual errors.

A team desperate for change simply has to lace up and go with what it has every single match night – and every game that slips through their fingers just adds another layer of pressure in the dressing-room, and builds those mindset walls ever higher.

It seems bewildering, almost perverse, that the club continues to set its face so stubbornly against making changes – moves that were identified as essential several months ago, and raised repeatedly only to encounter a brick wall.

Saturday was a season-defining game. Sadly, it may well be, but for all the wrong reasons.

Victory in regulation time would have repaired the damage sustained by Storm’s win in Kirkcaldy, and hoisted the club off the foot of the table.

They dropped a very tight opening period 1-0, but delivered a good middle session to take a precious, crucial 2-1 lead into the second break.

All Flyers had to do was go and win the hockey game. Instead, they lost that third period 4-0.

They were too passive when they needed to be ruthless, too happy to sit on their lead instead of taking this game to a Storm side which is every bit as average as Flyers.

But their hosts wanted it more when it mattered.

As the two coaches crossed the ice at full-time, Todd Dutiaume could only applaud the fans and wish his squad were as relentless in their drive and commitment as the supporters in the stands.

Ryan Finnerty’s fist pump said it all. This was a huge win – a pivotal moment in Storm’s play-off bid, and a dagger through the heart of Fife.

His side skated hard and fast on a cramped, tight ice pad, and had good spells of pressure in that opening period although it took until 17:40 before the deadlock was broken by Henrik Samuelsson with a straight shot into the net.

Fife enjoyed a good second period and were deservedly level after 26 minutes when a Storm player lost an edge on the Fife blue line, allowing Danick Gauthier the freedom of the ice before burying a find shot past netminder Matt Ginn.

Three minutes later the powerplay unit delivered a crucial goal – Carlo Finucci trying to set up James Livingston, and then netting the puck when it came back into his path.

They took that lead into the second break, giving themselves a golden opportunity for a vital road win.

One goal was perhaps all they needed to really break this game open and force the issue. Instead, they seemed to sit back, and rarely troubled Storm’s net.

The hosts grabbed a lifeline equaliser at 48:54 when Cameron Critchlow was allowed to roam around the zone before setting up Jared Aulin to ring the red light.

Within 60 seconds, Flyers were staring at 3-2 deficit – and chasing yet another hockey game. We know how this movie ends.

Manchester broke quickly, Frankie Melton carried the puck and set up the counter for Tyson Fawcett.

The refs reviewed the goal but the moment they pointed to the circle, indicating it was good, the writing was on the wall for Flyers.

Fast forward to a 55th minute powerplay, and it was 4-2 as Scott Simmonds stripped the puck from Michal Gutwald in Fife’s zone, and buried it past Adam Morrison.

Flyers pulled their netminder with 1:11 to play, lost control of the puck, and Aulin’s flick from within his own zone saw the puck roll down the ice into the empty net.

Todd Dutiaume, head coach, could only reflect on his “Jeckyll and Hyde” team and admitted Storm “wanted it more at times.”

They return to ice on Sunday at home to Nottingham Panthers, desperately needing much more than just the two points.