WEEK 8 of the 2024/25 Elite Ice Hockey League season and the Flyers have a pair of Challenge Cup games with their first visit to play the Glasgow Clan this season on Saturday night before hosting the Dundee Stars for the team’s last meeting in the group stages this season.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 26th GLASGOW CLAN v FIFE FLYERS @ BRAEHEAD ARENA – FACE OFF 7.00pm
Recent Form Guide
The teams have already met twice this season at Kirkcaldy in the Challenge Cup with the Clan claiming a split of games when they won on their last visit on 22nd September. The following weekend the Clan hosted the Cardiff Devils in the league and went down 3-1 before travelling to Tayside the following evening and securing a 5-4 Challenge Cup win against the Stars. The following midweek and the Clan got their first league points on the board in their fourth match when they narrowly defeated the Nottingham Panthers 2-1 at Braehead arena. Stars travelled to Glasgow the following weekend in the Cup and the Clan came out on top once again with a 5-2 win. In a home and home meeting with the Belfast Giants the next again weekend the Clan picked up three points with a home ice win and a shootout loss at the SSE to take a firm grip of second place in the table and the playoff qualification slot. Another midweek home game followed with the Blaze visiting Braehead and shutting the Clan out 6-0. Last weekend the Clan were on the road in the league when they visited Manchester on Saturday night where they were beaten 7-3 with a 6-3 defeat following at Sheffield the day after. The match against the Flyers this weekend is the only game for the Clan who then have three of their remaining four Challenge Cup games on home ice and a win will keep them within touching distance of the Giants and firm favourites for second place.
Last Challenge Cup Visit to Clan
Overall Away Challenge Cup Record Against Clan
P 10 W 2 L 8 F 30 A 44
Number Crunching
Both teams head into the weekend looking to avoid season high losing streaks with the Clan winless in their last four and the Flyers having lost their last five games.
Lucas Chiodo has goals in the Flyers last five meetings with the Clan.
The Flyers are looking to make it back to back wins at Braehead Arena – their best sequence against the Glasgow version of the Clan.
Gary Haden is the all-time leading scorer for the Clan against the Flyers with 17 goals having passed Scott Pitt with a goal in the last meeting.
It is the meeting of the two lowest scoring teams with the Clan having an average of 2.93 goals per game so far this season in all EIHL competitions – Flyers average is 2.43 goals per game. This despite the Clan averaging 5.5 and the Flyers 4.5 goals per game in the two meetings between the teams so far.
The Clan goals against average of 3.93 per game in all EIHL competitions is third most amongst all teams – Flyers 4.79 is most.
Clan at 35.86 shots per game are third most – Flyers have 32.14 per game which is 8th amongst teams.
Clan have conceded most of their goals (28 – 51%) in the third period which is most across all teams.
SUNDAY OCTOBER 27th FIFE FLYERS v DUNDEE STARS @ FIFE ICE ARENA – FACE OFF 5.15pm
Recent Form Guide
The Flyers and Stars met only last weekend and following the Stars lopsided shutout win on home ice they travelled to meet the Panthers in Nottingham on Sunday night and returned with a valuable two league points following an impressive 5-2 win. In midweek the Stars added to their roster when they announced the return of Philippe Sanche who started this season in the Alps League with Sterzing/Vipiteno. The Stars top scorers in season 2022/23, Sanche then spent an injury plagued 2023/24 season with the Glasgow Clan. On Wednesday night the Stars were in action against the Sheffield Steelers at the Utilita Arena. The visitors lead by the only goal in the game through the midway point before the Steelers hit them for six without reply to take the points.
Last Challenge Cup Visit from Stars
Overall Challenge Cup Home Record Against Stars
P 15 W 8 D 1 L 6 F 53 A 42
Number Crunching
The Flyers are unbeaten against the Stars on home ice in their last three Challenge Cup visits with 2 wins and a draw (won in a shootout).
The Stars will be looking for back to back shutouts against the Flyers which they have achieved once before in 2022.
Philippe Sanche is the Stars all-time scorer against the Flyers with 13 goals – Chase Schaber with 21 goals leads the Flyers against the Stars.
The Stars 2 game win streak, their best of the season was snapped on Wednesday night in Sheffield.
With 8 goals the Stars are second in scoring from their blueliners in all EIHL competitions this season.
The Flyers with 4.79 goals per game have conceded most amongst all teams with Stars next highest with 4.33 goals per game.