WEEK 7 of the 2024/25 Elite Ice Hockey League season and the Flyers once again make an early start to the weekend action when they travel to Tayside for their second visit to take on the Dundee Stars in this season’s Challenge Cup group. On Saturday they return to home ice for a league clash with the Guildford Flames who will be making their first visit of the season to Kirkcaldy.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 18th DUNDEE STARTS v FIFE FLYERS @ DUNDEE ICE ARENA – FACE OFF 7.30pm
Recent Form Guide
This will be the third derby meeting with the Stars this season all of which have been in the Challenge Cup, the last meeting being at Kirkcaldy on the last weekend of September. Since then the Stars have played two further Challenge Cup games when they dropped a 5-4 decision at home to Glasgow following their loss the previous night in Fife. A visit to Braehead Arena the following weekend also saw the Clan prevail with a 5-2 win leaving the Stars qualification from the group, along with the Flyers, looking like an outside bet for whichever team drops the points in this latest contest. Last weekend the Stars were on their travels with a league doubleheader on the road. On Saturday night they produced a spirited comeback to overturn a three goal deficit to take the Guildford Flames beyond regulation before snatching the extra point in a shootout. The following night in Cardiff the Stars went down to their heaviest defeat so far this season when the Devils ran out comfortable 6-1 winners to conclude their three games in three nights. Following their meeting with the Flyers the Stars are on the road again with a trip to meet the Nottingham Panthers on Saturday night.
Last Challenge Cup Visit to Stars
Overall Away Challenge Cup Record Against Stars
P 15 W 4 D 1 L 10 F 34 A 43
Number Crunching
The Flyers have not lost in regulation play on their last three visits in all EIHL competitions to Dundee Ice Arena.
In Challenge Cup play the Flyers are unbeaten in regulation across the Tay on their last seven visits.
It is the 17th September 2017 that the Stars last defeated the Flyers in 60 minutes on their home ice in the Challenge Cup.
The Stars have scored an average of 2.92 goals per game so far this season in all EIHL competitions – Flyers average is 2.5 goals per game.
The Stars goals against average of 4.75 per game in all EIHL competitions is most amongst all teams – Flyers with 4.42 are second most.
Stars at 35.08 shots per game are fourth best – Flyers have 30.42 per game which is 8th amongst teams.
Stars have conceded most of their goals (24 – 42%) in the second period – the third period is the Flyers leakiest period and they have conceded 19 (36%). Both of these numbers are worst across all teams.
Jake Elmer leads the Stars with 7 goals in all competitions this season and they have had 11 different players register on the scoresheet. The Flyers have 10 different goal scorers with Lucas Chiodo and Phélix Martineau leading the way with 6.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 19th FIFE FLYERS v GUILDFORD FLAMES @ FIFE ICE ARENA – FACE OFF 7.15pm
Recent Form Guide
This is the Flames first visit to Fife Ice Arena this season with the only other meeting between the two teams being Guildford’s opening league game at the end of September in Surrey. The following weekend the Flames visited the Coventry Blaze on Challenge Cup business where they narrowly lost 2-1. The next night back on home ice the Flames were once again beaten in a close game with the visiting Cardiff Devils coming out on top in a league match by the odd goal in five. Last weekend the Flames had a single game as they welcomed the Dundee Stars on league business and despite holding a three goal lead almost midway through the match the Flames were pegged back with third period goals to eventually succumb 5-4 in a shootout to drop their third game in a row. Following their trip to Fife, Guildford return home to play the Sheffield Steelers in Challenge Cup action this weekend.
Last League Visit from Flames
Overall League Home Record Against Flames
P 17 W 8 L 9 F 51 A 50
Number Crunching
The Flyers are closing in on 100 goals against the Flames in all EIHL competitions as they currently sit on 96.
The Flames remain the only active EIHL team yet to have a player score a hat trick against the Flyers.
They are also the only team yet to record a shootout win against the Flyers.
The Flames have most goals scored by blueliners so far this season with 6 goals.
The Flames are 7th for both goals scored and conceded.
Only the Coventry Blaze have scored fewer first period goals than the Flames.
In their last four meetings with the Flyers the Flames have had 10 different goal scorers – the Flyers last 8 goals against the Flames, over three games, have all been from different players.
Matt Alvaro leads the Flames with 6 goals in all competitions this season. Incredibly in league play all 10 goals scored have come from different Flames players and they have 15 plyers in total who have found the net in all EIHL competitions.
