Fife Flyers forward Kyle Just: I keep telling myself it will come

The Canadian forward is accustomed to putting up good numbers having averaged over a point per game during prolific spells in Italy, Germany and Hungary.

However, along with several of his team mates in Fife, he has found it tough to generate offence in the EIHL so far this season, with only six goals and 10 assists in 34 appearances.

"Trust me, it's frustrating," Just told the Press.

"I feel like my offensive numbers haven't represented my play, but I've kept telling myself it's going to come.

"I'm waiting for that one game - and it could've been Sunday - where I get my offensive jump back and the puck goes in the net.

"It will just take one of those games where I get a goal and maybe an assist, then I'll get my rhythm and confidence back, and it feels like the net gets a little bigger.

"Offence as a team right now is dry and it's tough, especially when we're having a lot of defensive lapses.

"You're going to have those throughout the season but when you're struggling to score as much as we are, those defensive mistakes are going to hurt you a lot more."

A move from wing to centre saw Just more heavily involved in the play in Sunday's defeat to Manchester Storm and unlucky not to get on the scoresheet.

But the 28-year-old knows that with Fife now bottom of the table and in a dogfight for a play-off position, he and his team mates need to start delivering results.

"I want to finish the season strong, which is something I've always proud of," he said.

"Sometimes I can go through a little bit of a lull in the middle part, but I always like to build towards the end of the season when the hockey gets more important.

"In the last few weeks I've focused on getting my conditioning a little better, working hard and doing extra stuff, and I feel better on the ice.

"I feel like I have a little more jump and energy. It was frustrating on Sunday because felt like I played really well and hoped that would translate into helping the team with points.

"If I can bring more performances like that I think can help the team get more points. I hope I can keep that up going forward."

Just was thwarted late in Sunday's game when a stunning save from Storm netminder Matt Ginn prevented him levelling the scores and ending the team's seven-game powerplay drought.

"It was super frustrating for me because I thought I played really well and was generating a lot of chances, and if one of those go in, it's a totally different scenario," he said.

"I felt like I had him and when he put the glove out and I saw him grab it, I was just like, 'come on, you've got to be kidding me'.

"It's not going our way right now, but we're not making it go our way.

"We're struggled to score goals, and we're struggling on special teams, but Sunday was one of the best games we've played in a long time and it was really frustrating that we didn't get rewarded.

"We have to focus on the positives which we've been trying to do all year, but need to start making that a habit.

"We've got to focus on the details and bring that effort on a regular basis, then we're going to start getting the points.

"We need to find a way to have 18 or 19 guys doing it on a nightly basis, even in practice.

"Hopefully we start that now because it's been frustrating lately."

Flyers face Manchester for the second weekend running, travelling to the eighth-placed side on Saturday, and victory is essential to close the gap on the play-off spots.

"We should be looking at this as a mini play-off match against a team we're fighting with," Just added.

"We just lost in our arena so we need to have the mentality of going down there and wanting revenge against them.

"It's about finding that sandpaper - that grit and determination to win.

"Whether it's wanting to win or hating to lose we have to find that in our group.

"These guys just beat us when we thought we should have beat then, so we've got to bring it even more next Saturday in their building and take it away from them because we deserved it last Sunday.

"They are the team we're chasing right now so Saturday is the biggest game of the season for us."