Ice hockey: Inconsistency haunts Fife Flyers again

Fife Flyers forward Chris Auger was left frustrated by his team's inconsistency at the weekend.

A Saturday win at Dundee Stars was followed by a defeat plucked from the jaws of victory at Hull Stingrays in a weekend symptomatic of the Flyers' season as a whole.

Auger was dejected in Humberside at seeing two more points slip away.

"Overall it's been a disappointing weekend," he said. "We gave away the game at Hull after having two separate leads.

"It seems we have a way of how we go about things. We get up in games then go into a shell where teams skate around us.

"It's at a stage where even we don't even know what Fife Flyers team will turn up and it's been like that all year."

Fife began the weekend in good form and crushed Dundee Stars 5-2 in Kirkcaldy as they looked to get back on track after two losses last week.

The home team went ahead in the first period as Matt Reber finished the rebound from Jordan Fulton's shot to open the scoring.

Then Scott Fleming took advantage of a breakaway to increase the lead of the Kirkcaldy men at the end of the first period.

Fleming struck again to increase the lead seconds into the middle session with Jamie Milam making it 4-0 shortly after.

Martin Cingel pulled one back for the Stars, only for Jamie Wilson to restore Fife's four-goal gulf, with Bari McKenzie adding another for Dundee late on.

From there, they made the trip to Hull Stingrays, but a late collapse saw the home team nick the points in a thrilling finale, winning 5-4.

They took the lead after a double from Carl Lauzon, but the Flyers fought back with Ned Lukacevic and Niko Suoraniemi levelled the game until Jamie Milam put Fife ahead.

The Stingrays equalised early in the third through Will Frederick, but Matt Reber struck again to retain the lead for the visitors.

However, a mistake from Chris Wands let in Eric Galbraith, who restored parity once more for the home team, with Mayer clinching a winner to plunder the points at the death.

The result now means Braehead Clan need two points from their game with Dundee Stars next Saturday to clinch the Gardiner Conference and a high play-off seeding.

Cardiff Devils spent the weekend in Scotland as they looked to get their own Elite League aspirations back on track after a run of poor form.

While they got a point in Edinburgh against the Capitals on Friday night, they ended up losing the game 2-1 on penalty shots.

Riley Emmerson opened the scoring in the first period, but was cancelled out as Jake Morrisette restored the Devils on level terms.

The game went the distance and it was Emmerson's penalty shot that won them the game as the Caps made it nine points from a possible 12.

The Welsh side recovered in impressive style on Saturday, handing Braehead Clan an Elite League blow to stun them with a 3-0 win in Glasgow.

Joey Martin broke the deadlock with Matthew Myers and Doug Clarkson all finding the net as Braehead failed to turn up.

The Devils then completed their weekend in Dundee with a 4-2 win over the Stars to enforce their hopes of an Elite League charge.

They found the net through Doug Clarkson and Carl Hudson, before Sam McCluskey pulled one back for the home team.

Andrew Lord restored Cardiff's two-goal lead, but the Welshmen were again pegged back through Igor Gongalsky.

The visitors increased that lead even further when Matthew Myers applied the fourth early in the third to take five points out of a possible six from their trip north of the border.

Weekend results

Friday

Edinburgh Capitals 2-1 Cardiff Devils (PS)

Saturday

Braehead Clan 0-3 Cardiff Devils

Fife Flyers 5-2 Dundee Stars

Sunday

Dundee Stars 2-4 Cardiff Devils

Hull Stingrays 5-4 Fife Flyers