Fife Flyers boss Danny Stewart has revealed that they aim to be a tight knit unit against Braehead Clan on Saturday.
The pair square-up on Challenge Cup, Group A, business at Kirkcaldy (face-off 7.15pm).
Stewart said that the squad had been guilty of isolating the puck carrier in recent games.
And he said: “We were spread out against Dundee but we’ve been working on supporting guys in all parts of the ice.”
Fife’s three crocked players home-bred defencemen Kyle Horne and Chris Wands and American forward Matt Reber are being monitored daily.
And they face late fitness checks before Todd Dutiaume, the club’s head coach, confirms his team.
Stewart said: “We’ve been watching videos of Braehead and they are going really well.
“They are playing good hockey and have a physical and skilful side out there and they are getting results.
“We know it will be tough out there on the ice on Saturday as they want the points and so do we.
“However, we’ve at home and we want to give the supporters what they want and that’s a win.”
Meanwhile Dundee-born Tristan Harper has expressed surprise that Fife Flyers have started the season so slowly.
The Kirkcaldy club stormed into last season’s play-off semi-finals at Nottingham with a remarkable late-season run.
But they have stuttered so far this term, winning only one game in six, a 4-2 success over Dundee Stars in the Challenge Cup, Group A, last Saturday on home ice, despite having most of last season’s squad back.
Harper, a former Dundee Stars player, travels to Kirkcaldy on Saturday with Braehead Clan.
The 26-year-old, who is in his second season with the Glasgow club, admitted: “It is slightly surprising Fife have started slowly, but it’s early days yet. “There are lot of games left so it’s too soon to make an overall judgement.
“Everyone knows the kind of form they showed in the second half of last season.”
He knows it will be a battle at Rosslyn Street and added: “I’m very familiar with what to expect.
“It’ll be a tough game but Braehead are one of the top teams in Scotland and Fife want to compete for that spot.”