Fife Flyers' 'must win' games slipping through their fingers after loss to Dundee Stars

The team did all it could against a Dundee Stars side that was beatable, but still came up short on Boxing Day. Without Shane Owen, Stephen Desrocher and Collin Shirley, they again saw players eat up additional ice time, while back-up goalie Andy Little did all that was expected of him in his first 60-minute outing.

A howler of a non-call from the officials handed Stars a game-tying goal at the start of the second period - when you’re down, Lady Luck rarely offers any leeway -but a failure to convert on a long, and increasingly fragmented powerplay, was a key factor in defeat; that and the inability to get the puck in the net.

Stars were nothing out of the ordinary, but, once again, you sensed the comeback options were limited.

The visitors showered Little with rubber for the opening ten minutes before Flyers got into a groove, with Kyle Osterberg - oh to be able to clone him thrice over in this team - shooting low past Kevin Carr for the opening goal at 11:24. Flyers held the lead going into the first break, but then came the offside everyone saw apart from the stripeys. Tom Coolen could only throw his hands in the air in frustration after Carter Johnson snapped on to Tony Rinaldi's shot for a neat finish at 21:21.

With half an hour gone, the coach called a time out after watching his team getting turned over once too often for comfort. By then they were 2-1 down after Osterberg lost the puck in Stars zone, they broke quickly and Ryan Valentini delivered a clinical finish at 29:48.

Two minutes latter Sean Allan, Stars’ unimpressive enforcer, delivered the most lazy, cynical hit to nail Osterberg into the boards, and then chop Aleksi Makela with a shrug that said “so what”. He was gone on a check from behind major, but Fife’s powerplay rather unravelled over the five minutes

The next goal was key to the outcome, and it came at 46:47 when Stars won a face-off and Rinaldi fired home from the left.

Max Humitz’s goal at 49:01 offered some hope, but it was snuffed out by Brent Beaudoin’s powerplay slapshot with seven minutes on the clock. A two-goal defeat, but two big points lost. Fife have to get through this spell and re-ignite in 2024.