Tonight: Flames trying to avoid late playoff scrap

Photo: John Uwins

Guildford Flames welcome Cardiff Devils to the Spectrum hoping not to get embroiled in a late-season dogfight for a playoff place.

The Flames have been in the league's top eight for almost the entire season, leading the league in early November, but have slipped to eighth with a record of just 10 wins in their last 30 games. Paul Dixon's men have a .500 record over their last eight games heading into a weekend where they face the third-placed Devils and league-leading Belfast Giants.

Cardiff go into Guildford after ending a two-game losing streak against Dundee on Friday night with a thumping 7-1 win. The Devils know they'll finish third this season, but that pleased Head Coach Jarrod Skalde who felt his side owed the fans a performance after their previous home defeat to Sheffield, though post-game he still noted areas of their play for improvement.

As a measure of where the Flames have struggled in parts this season, defenseman Jamal Watson is their top points scoter on 11 + 33. Ian McNulty leads the team with 20 goals, just inside the league's top ten players. The Devils, by comparison, have Brodie Reid leading their line with 29 league goals, while further down the list Cole Sanford and Trevor Cox have 16 each.