By Kris Smith
The Stars extended their winning streak over their biggest rivals to four games on Boxing Day as they emerged victorious in a closely contested 3-2 game over in Kirkcaldy.
Fife had taken the lead in just 92 seconds as Tyler Heidt moved in on goal and slotted the puck past Jarrett Fiske but Dundee would respond in the fifth minute as Brendan Harms tipped home Drydn Dow’s effort on the powerplay, converting on their man advantage in only six seconds.
In the second period, Massimo Carozza converted a two-on-one break for the Flyers to restore their lead on 22 minutes but once again, the Stars quickly pegged them back as Spencer Naas switched a pass from left to right and Zach Tsekos would finish high past Shane Owen.
With the two teams tied at 2-2 in the third period, the game-winning-goal would not come until the 54th minute when Brett Gravelle pulled Owen away from his net, before playing the puck back to Philippe Sanche for the Canadian to tap in.
The Stars have now moved back within touching distance of the playoff spots and win tonight could see them move up into the top eight, if Manchester Storm fail to pick up any points on their visit to Guildford Flames.
Looking ahead to tonight’s match, Stars Head Coach, Marc LeFebvre said: “The big thing for us is we have that positivity after winning two games in a row but Fife are in a similar situation to us where they need to win points and want to get back into a playoff position.
“With them having a new coach, players want to impress him as well and on Boxing Day they came out firing on all cylinders.
“I thought Shane Owen was great and he has been one of the top three goaltenders in this league over the last six or seven years, he is a guy who keeps them going when they are on their heels and he makes those big saves for them.
“Especially in the second period, when I thought we dominated the play, he made sure going into the third period that it was still tied.
“So, we have to find a way past him if he is in the net and they have some firepower up front that we have to try and shut down.
“For us, it is about using our depth because for the depth that we have, we have to try and use that to our advantage as much as possible.
“That is a good team over in Fife and we have to be ready for them.”
Face-off for tonight’s home game is at 7pm.
All images: Derek Black.
