Edinburgh Capitals hopes of making the end-of-season play-offs suffered another blow when they were beaten 5-2 at high-flying Sheffield Steelers on Wednesday night.
The visitors, who lost 4-1 in Coventry Blaze on Tuesday, were 1-0 behind to a Markus Nilsson goal after 15 minutes.
Nilsson slotted again 32 seconds into the middle session and John Armstrong made it 3-0 four minutes later.
Robert Dowd increased the home side’s advantage after 38 minutes before Ian Schultz netted Capitals’ opener with 55 minutes gone.
Dowd’s second 41 seconds later completed Sheffield’s scoring and Garrett Milan claimed a consolation with 17 seconds left as Sheffield moved into second place in the ten-strong table.
Meanwhile, Fife Flyers were dealt a blow when ice hockey discipline chiefs banned forward Justin Fox for five games.
The move followed a request for a review from Dundee Stars following an incident in their home Elite League clash with Fife on Sunday and he will miss two games involving Capitals.
The flare-up came with 33 seconds left of the game and 29-year-old Fox was assessed a two-plus-two minute penalty for accidental high-sticks.
And members of the sport’s Department of Player Safety (DOPS) saw video footage before making their decision.
They upgraded the punishment to a match penalty for high sticking
Following a review of the incident, using the video footage and the Referees report, the Department of Player Safety has upgraded the penalty to a match penalty for high-sticking.
A match penalty carries an automatic one game ban and the DOPS have increased this by a further four games.
Canadian-born right-wing Fox, now in his second season at Fife, now misses Saturday-s trip to Belfast Giants, Flyers’ home game with Sheffield Steelers on Sunday, their home fixture against Capitals on March 4, a trip to Coventry Blaze on March 11 and the visit to Capitals on March 12.
The DOPS carried out an automatic review of Flyers’ Philippe Paquet after he was assessed a two minute plus ten minute penalty for checking to the head during the game between Braehead Clan and Flyers in Glasgow last Friday.
This penalty has not been upgraded and no further action will be taken.
(Library image – Caps v Flyers (J.L.Preece)
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