By Kris Smith
Matt Marquardt insists that the playoff race is nowhere near over and that he and his teammates will not stop pushing for points.
With only seven games left in the season, the Dundee Stars player-assistant coach knows every point is crucial and Marquardt wants the team to move on from the past few games which have seen controversial calls go in the favour of Dundee’s opposition.
He said: “We had a good meeting today, but there is nothing we can about it now.
“It is what it is we just have to stay focused on what is ahead of us.
“We have a big three in three on the weekend coming up and points are crucial now.”
Ahead of a tough three in three on the road, the Canadian also emphasised the importance of keeping focused for 60 minutes.
Matt added: “I don’t think there is anything to be addressed in training but we just have to execute the game plan and stay focused for 60 minutes.
“Sometimes we are playing really good games and really good hockey, stringing together 57 minutes of good play.
“It is just a little lapse of focus or a small mistake here or there and it seems to sink us sometimes but we just need to stay focused, stay positive and not get too ahead of ourselves but at the same time we cannot get too down if things don’t happen to go our way right away.”
With six points up for grabs and Stars only three points off a playoff spot, the only thing on the guys minds are the two points insists Marquardt.
He said: “We are going into the weekend one game at a time but at the same time we are not going for any other reason to win the games.
“It is do or die for us, there is seven games left and every single point matters.
“We are going into every game trying to get the two points and we are not satisfied with anything else.”
The Taysiders are not mathematically out the playoff race yet but no player wants to be involved in nothing games, continued Marquardt.
“Hockey is one of those things, even when you are thinking about one game, it is a 60-minute game and it’s not over until its over.
“Nobody here wants to play meaningless hockey and that goes right to the last game of the season.
“We don’t want to play any games that don’t mean anything because we are statistically out but right now we are not and there is still a lot of hockey left to be played.
“14 points are still up for grabs against a couple of good teams, one of them we are going to get the chance to face head-to-head, in Coventry.
“So, we have just had a bit of flair for the dramatic this year and it’s not over until it’s over.
“We are playing every game like it’s our last and the best team is going to come out on top.”
