WEEK 8 of the 2023/24 Elite Ice Hockey League season and following the rescheduling of the Sunday night game against the Nottingham Panthers we welcome the Dundee Stars to the Fife Ice Arena on Friday night before the planned visit to the Glasgow Clan on Saturday.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 10th v DUNDEE STARS @ FIFE ICE ARENA – FACE OFF 7.30pm
Recent Form Guide
The Stars Challenge Cup competition this season has proven to be fruitless so far and they will play their final game this weekend against the Clan knowing that a win may still be enough to make it to the knockout rounds following the withdrawal of the Nottingham Panthers from the competition. It’s five defeats from five so far in the Cup after opening up the season against the Giants who won 4-1 then 6-2 at Dundee Ice Arena. A similar fate over a weekend followed against the Flyers who won 6-3 and then 4-2 on Tayside. On Sunday night the Stars will be looking to avenge a 4-1 defeat in Glasgow against the Clan. In league action the Stars have enjoyed mixed fortunes. Opening up with a defeat on the road in Manchester they then got both points the following night at home to the Storm in a shootout. An overtime defeat in Nottingham was followed the next night by being shutout in Sheffield. The Panthers then inflicted Stars heaviest defeat of the season when they won 7-2 on Tayside but the Stars bounced back in fine style in their next home game when they handed the Belfast Giants their first domestic defeat of the season. Last weekend there was an impressive road win in Coventry but the following night the Blaze snapped the Stars three game winning streak by winning in Dundee. The Stars have made a new addition to their roster since last they met the Flyers with American Brent Beaudoin bolstering their forward lines.
Last League Visit From Stars
Overall Elite League Home Record Against Stars
P 39 W 21 L 18 F 129 A 109
Number Crunching
The Flyers as mentioned above have won both meetings with the Stars so far this season – it means that the Flyers have won their last five games against the Stars.
The best sequence the Flyers have had against Stars in all EIHL competitions is 6 wins.
Stars last win over the Flyers was last Boxing Day at Dundee Ice Arena.
Flyers have four players with two goals who are top scorers in this season’s encounters with Stars – Johan and Anthon Eriksson, Troy Lajuenesse and Collin Shirley. The Stars top scorer in these games is Anthony Rinaldi with three goals.
Flyers are currently winless in their last five games, their longest such streak this season. Guildford, Glasgow and Dundee have had the longest winless streaks this season – six games.
Stars are last amongst the 10 teams for powerplay goals scored this season, they have registered just 3 in all competitions.
Dundee have also conceded the most goals on the penalty kill (16) and are a minus 13 differential with the next worst team being minus 2.
In second period play the Stars have scored the fewest goals and conceded the most in all competitions this season.
Flyers in the first period play have scored the second fewest and conceded the second most in all competitions this season.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 11th v GLASGOW CLAN @ BRAEHEAD ARENA – FACE OFF 7.00pm
Recent Form Guide
It was of course only last weekend that we met the Clan and their only game since was the following night when they went down at home to their heaviest defeat of the season when the Cardiff Devils won 7-0. The first time that the Clan have been held goalless this term. Clan complete their weekend fixtures with a trip to Dundee in the final Challenge Cup group game.
Last League Visit to Clan
Overall Elite League Away Record Against Clan
P 39 W 10 L 29 F 99 A 159
Number Crunching
The Flyers will be looking for their first win at Braehead Arena in their last four visits and were shutout on opening night this season.
It will be exactly a year to the day of the last Flyers win on Clan ice when they won 2-1 with goals from Zack Phillips and Janne Kivilahti.
Flyers next goal at Braehead will be their 100th against Clan on the road in all EIHL competitions.
Clan’s Gary Haden has scored in 7 of the last 8 matches against the Flyers and his next goal will make him the top scorer for Glasgow against Fife with 13 goals.
Flyers, in all competitions this season, have given up the fewest powerplay goals (7) along with Sheffield and Belfast but have also played more games than both.
