Stingrays coach Cloutier fearful of last-day shootout

The Stingrays missed an opportunity to place one foot firmly in the post-season when they went down 4-2 at bottom club Fife Flyers on Tuesday night, courtesy of an inspired performance from former forward Frantisek Bakrlik, who fired a hat-trick past net minder Christian Boucher.

But Hull’s hopes were given a significant boost 48 hours later when Edinburgh Capitals - the team sitting outside the play-off spots - went down 4-2 at Coventry Blaze.

That leaves Hull four points ahead of the Capitals, having played a game more and with both teams having just the one game this weekend.

Edinburgh welcome Coventry to Murrayfield Ice Arena on Saturday night, while Hull have to wait until Sunday before hosting second-placed Sheffield Steelers, who will arrive in East Yorkshire fresh from their title showdown double-header at Belfast Giants.

Dundee, currently sitting between Hull and Edinburgh in the final play-off spot, are the form team of the three play-off hopefuls, going into Sunday’s home game against Coventry on the back of a three-game winning streak.

They are due in Hull on Sunday, March 25, but Cloutier would prefer his team to be assured of extending their season before then.

“I still think it’s up to us and in our hands with regard to making the play-offs,” said Cloutier.

“We didn’t play bad in Fife, but we didn’t play too good either and we should have taken more of our chances.

“I would prefer things not to go down to that last game and winning in Fife would certainly have made things a lot better for us. But we’ve still got faith in ourselves that we can get the job done.”

The tone for Sunday’s meeting with Steelers could depend much on how well Ryan Finnerty’s team’s weekend goes in Belfast, with four points required in order to ensure their title hopes remain alive.

A win for Belfast on either night and the Steelers’ bid to retain their regular season championship will be at an end.

But Cloutier said he will not be concerned with how their Yorkshire rivals fare at the Odyssey Arena, as he plots to finally get the better of the defending champions having lost all previous meetings this season.

A 6-0 thrashing in Sheffield back in October aside, the majority of Hull’s seven encounters with the Steelers have been tight affairs, with four of those meetings being settled by the odd goal.

Such performances give Cloutier the hope that his team - boosted by the return of British forward Matty Davies after a spell on the sidelines with concussion - can end their losing streak against the Steelers.

“Most of our games with Sheffield have been very, very close and I expect it to be the same this Sunday,” said Cloutier.

“Whatever happens to them in Belfast - whether it goes their way or not - you can guarantee that Ryan will have his players pumped up when they get to ours.

“It will be good to get Matty back. He’s a top competitor and he knows how much we need him. He’s been training with us for a couple of weeks and he’s raring to go.”