Devils of a job facing double disaster Clan Purple Army face dropping out of play-off slots

Pics: Al Goold Photography

Glasgow Clan are perilously close to missing out on a play-off spot having lost twice on the weekend – leaving them at risk of dropping out of the top eight with just seven league games to play.

The costly losses came against Manchester Storm at the Braehead Arena on Saturday and against Cardiff Devils at the Vindico Arena on Sunday.

Mitchell Martan opened the scoring for Storm in the first of the weekend’s games in the opening five minutes. Raymond Brice doubled the advantage for the Manchester side in the second period. Tyler Hinam then made it 3-0 to the away team. Clan eventually found the net through Charlie Combs, who quickly after added a second, reducing the arrears to just one. The third period was scoreless, meaning Storm skated away with the points and a 3-2 final scoreline.

Sunday’s match saw the Clan fail to find the net for only the third time this season. Cardiff Devils, who were one of those to impose a shutout on the Glasgow side earlier in the season, won 2-0. Brandon Alderson scored on a powerplay in the second period, before Ryan Barrow sealed the points for Cardiff in the third period by adding a second for his team.

Clan head coach Jason Morgan says his team need to find a way of turning decent performances into points with so few games left to play of the regular season.

Speaking to the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) media team after Sunday’s match, he said: “I think the third period was our best period. We’ve been in a lot of close games this year, a lot of overtimes and credit to the guys we stuck with it.

“They’re a good team and they had more numbers than us tonight so maybe fatigue set in, but I thought the guys looked great in the third, we battled right to the end, [Gary] Haden puts one off the post that easily could have tied it up.

“We’ve got to keep working, there’s not many games left, and we need to find a way to get points.”

The Braehead-based team are in seventh place, just one point ahead of ninth-placed Dundee Stars who have a game in hand.

Between them lie eighth-placed Fife Flyers, who are level with Glasgow Clan on 45 points, but have played a game more.

Next up for Morgan’s men is a crunch clash with Dundee Stars at the Braehead Arena on Friday, March 22 at 7.30pm. Lose that and Stars would climb above them, leaving Clan’s place in the end-ofseason play-offs in doubt.

That’s followed by a trip to Surrey to take on Guildford Flames on Saturday. Face-off is at 6pm for that one.

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