By Kris Smith
The Stars need to win to give themselves the best chance of progressing to the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup as by defeating the Giants, they would draw level on 11 points with Glasgow Clan, who have three games left to play.
Dundee come into the game having won three in a row after beating Nottingham Panthers and Coventry Blaze in league play, but also Fife Flyers in their last cup outing.
After scoring 13 in those last three matches and conceding only six, the Stars face a Giants side who are unbeaten in their last four games and have netted 16 goals, while also only giving up six.
The three previous games between Marc LeFebvre’s men and Adam Keefe’s side have all gone the way of Keefe’s Belfast with 7-3, 6-5OT and 5-0 scorelines.
The Giants were 5-3 victors on home ice against Fife on Saturday night as Jackson Whistle back-stopped them to their eighth win in nine cup fixtures, with J.J. Piccinich, Gabe Bast, Mark Cooper, Scott Conway and Elijiah Barriga all on target.
Meanwhile, the Stars took a 2-0 lead through 40 minutes against the Blaze yesterday as Keanu Yamamoto and Jake Elmer both struck late on in each period but Coventry would score three goals in the first 10 minutes of the third period to snatch back the lead.
Philippe Sanche then tied the game up with his first goal for the club in his first game back in Stars colours, since rejoining the club and once in overtime, Zach Tsekos’ shorthanded goal would seal the extra point for the Taysiders.
Looking ahead to tonight’s must-win clash, Stars Head Coach, Marc LeFebvre said: “We just have to find our legs somehow, we know it is a tough game and a tough building to play in.
“We found a way to get a point in that building before but last night’s game was emotional and full on, although we have to get some rest now and be on a bus in a few hours then onto a ferry and go right in to play.
“So, it is not an ideal schedule but we will not make that excuse and we just have to go and find a way to get the job done.
“We just have to play smart and disciplined tonight, that is all it comes down to because last time, they came here and ripped us apart but obviously we have changed some things since then with personnel and how we play.
“At the end of the day, we just have to find a way to get some points.”
After debuting at the DIA for a second time, forward Sanche commented: “It was fun to be back in front of the fans, as I said before they give us so much energy and they did that again last night.
“Obviously we let go of the 2-0 lead but we stuck with the gameplan and found a way to get the two points, so that is all that matters.”
Looking ahead to his first road game back in Stars colours, he added: “Every road game is the same, you need to play smart hockey, get pucks deep and grind it out and that seems to be the mentality of this team, so I am excited to go on this trip again.”
Face-off for tonight’s road game in Belfast is at 4pm.
All images: William Cherry/Presseye.
