Ice Hockey: Cool Schafer puts in red-hot shifts

Tuesday's shock 7-5 win over league champions Coventry Blaze saw rock-solid Schafer produce another fine performance and he called on his team-mates to produce an action replay at Cardiff Devils tomorrow.

The Murrayfield men come home overnight and face the Devils again at the Riversdale rink on Sunday, but Schafer, a fourth-round draft pick for National Hockey League (NHL) outfit Florida Panthers in 2004, believes that the confidence boost following the midweek win could be a catalyst.

And the 6ft 4in defenceman from Saskatchewan lifted the lid on the Coventry defeat by saying: "We didn't have the jump in the first period (on Tuesday]. However, we re-grouped in the dressing-room and the guys came out flying.

"A 5-0 scoreline against Coventry Blaze in one period is something. They are a big club in this league and this is something that can help raise confidence levels at this club.

"We clicked during that second period. We had a really good tempo going and we played some smart hockey. We kept things going in the third when we knew they would come back at us which they did.

"We got the job done defensively and we have to continue doing that. We're still short at the back but we're working and we showed people that we can really play against the best in the Elite League. We lost the third period but the damage had been done and we skated away with a massive result."

It lifted Capitals to eighth in the ten-strong league table, the final play-off spot, and Schafer and his team-mates are determined to make the end-of- season shoot-out.

The Cardiff games are important as they are fifth in the table with 24 points from 17 starts. Capitals have seven points from 17 games but Schafer is keen to see the club go on a winning run and added: "Saturday is a big, long trip. We've got eight or nine hours on the bus and it is hard to get your legs going after that.

"We've got to play simple, smart hockey down there and we can't afford to make mistakes. Wednesday's result means we can start to build momentum but, to do that, we have to back up the win.

"If we do the right things then we can get two points down there but they are a good team and they are going well."

And the 25-year-old gentle giant added: "The result against Coventry sends a message to the league. It shows that we want to win and can win against the big teams in this division.

"Other teams will take notice of that result and now we have to go out and do it all again. It's a really good league and it's tough, but we can compete."

Schafer and Kirkcaldy-born Kyle Horne have built a sound on-ice relationship and Horne, a Great Britain internationalist, is full of praise for his blue-line colleague.

The frank Fifer said: "Evan is Joe Cool on the ice. You need experienced men at the back and he is top class. He's logging a lot of miles back there but so are we all and we are all working for each other."

And Horne added: "That was a great win on Tuesday. We re-focused and pushed hard in the second period and got a reward. Cardiff is a long trip but we have to keep working away and we must play smart hockey down there."

Capitals had three men missing on Tuesday. Edinburgh-born defenceman Daniel McIntyre has a hip problem which he has carried since the start of the season and apparently rest is the cure. He faces a late fitness test.

Glenrothes-based forward Iain Bowie (leg) and Jordan Steel (elbow) may both miss the long trip. Having a fully-fit squad would be a bonus but the coaching duo of Scott Neil and his bench coach Jock Hay have proved they can marshal their men and may have to do so again.