Braehead Clan forward Ben Davies is eagerly anticipating this weekend’s double-header against Manchester Storm.
Clan need to win their remaining four regular season games to be able to take the Gardiner Conference crown out of Fife Flyers’ hands.
With Storm still chasing a play-off spot, despite rivals Coventry Blaze beating Nottingham Panthers on Wednesday, it’s a big test for Ryan Finnerty’s team.
Davies said: “These are definitely big games for us and it’s the same for Manchester who are chasing a play-off place.
“But we have to win our remaining games to try and finish top of the Conference and that’s something that’s very clear to us.
“We’ve been working on different things this week and things specific to Manchester because they are our opponents in both games.
“It’s an exciting week ahead for us as we get near the end of the season and fingers crossed, if we get the wins, we do the same looking ahead to Edinburgh in our last two games.
“With both teams having something at stake, it could be a cracker and the two sets of players will lay it all out there.
“It’s a play-off mentality from now on in and I expect it to be an intense weekend.”
Fife completed their Conference schedule with an emphatic 8-2 win over Storm, while Clan kept themselves in it with a closely fought 2-1 win at Dundee Stars.
The GB international acknowledges there is plenty to do in the next couple of weeks as they look to finish the season with a flourish.
The pressure is on Braehead now to deliver the four victories, but Davies doesn’t quite see it that way.
He said: “Going into the third period on Sunday we knew Fife were winning, but didn’t know they had won the game.
“We knew we had to win regardless of what was going on elsewhere, but we had to work hard in that last period to make sure we got the points.
“We got ourselves an advantage and were able to take the points in the end, which was huge for us to keep the run going.
“The boys were pumped afterwards and there’s a lot on the line for us. I wouldn’t say there was pressure, as I said, we have a play-off mentality and have to keep that going.”
(Image permission: Al Goold Photo)
