Dundee Stars playcaller Marc Lefebvre had a smile on his face after the Tayside team opened their domestic season with a Challenge Cup, Group A, victory over Belfast Giants at Dundee Ice Arena.
The new coach, who has won his three pre-season games, felt Giants would provide a barometer on his club’s progress since he arrived late last month.
And the 33-year-old former Sheffield Steelers and Edinburgh Capitals forward, who is trying to lift Stars up the Elite League after finishing bottom last term while bidding to re-establish himself in the British league after being sacked by Coventry Blaze, celebrated a 3-0 victory over the Northern Irish combine, the three goals coming in five devastating minutes.
It was Canadian-born forward Curtis Leinweber who made a major impact.
The 27-year-old, who played in Denmark last season, scored two goals and assisted in the other strike the first after Leinweber slotted a short-handed penalty shot past Belfast’s Dundee-born netminder Stephen Murphy with only 26 seconds left of the opening period.
Former Fife Flyers and Braehead Clan star Bobby Chaumont increased the home side’s advantage with a second two minutes later, also when Dundee had a man in the penalty box, .
Leinweber’s second arrived just over two minutes after that to send the home fans wild.
Dundee then kept their cool, despite being outshot 40-29, to see out the game for a confidence-boosting victory ahead of their Elite League clash at Nottingham Panthers today.
Elsewhere in the league Fife Flyers have made big changes, with no fewer than 11 imports making their Kirkcaldy debuts. Goaltender David Brown has moved from Hull and tough defenceman Philippe Paquet from mainland Europe, while experienced TJ Craig has proved he can score points.
Coaching team Todd Dutiaume and Danny Stewart know their side have a tough first game tonight when they entertain Coventry Blaze.
Meanwhile, Dundee Tigers coach Ian Carstairs believes the Autumn Cup is a great way to start the season.
His squad travel to play Aberdeen Lynx today and Carstairs said: “We’ve got two legs to try and secure our place in the semi-final and we’d like to put in a positive performance away from home to take a lead back into the home leg.
“The rivalry between the Lynx and ourselves has grown over the past couple of years and games tend to be close, physical battles.”