Leeds Chiefs v Hull Pirates - Sam Zajac looks for Chiefs to establish identity

With points largely immaterial in their last six games of the season – the Chiefs will finish bottom regardless of what happens between now and March 22 – Zajac is more concerned with his team’s performances.

He caught a glimpse of how he wants his team to play on a far more consistent basis during the first period of last Sunday’s 4-3 home defeat to NIHL National champions-elect Telford Tigers.

For 20 minutes the Chiefs were dominant, out-shooting the league leaders 20-5, serving to make for a frustrating first intermission into which they only took a 2-1 lead.

Telford turned the tables in the second period, scoring three unanswered goals before eventually holding on for a 4-3 victory, although nobody could have argued had the home side taken at least a point.

The defeat stretched the Chiefs’ losing streak to four games, with Zajac’s team now only having one win from their last eight. And while there is no hope of lifting themselves off the bottom of the standings in their remaining games, Zajac is determined his team end the campaign showing others they will be tougher proposition when they return in September.

“We’re not just looking for the results but moreso the performances,” said Zajac. “We’ve got six games left and while we can’t get any higher in the league – which is unfortunate –we’ve still got a lot to play for.

“Guys are playing for their futures at the club, they are trying to catch our eye and maybe the eye of other coaches too and, as a team, we still feel like we’ve got a bit to prove here.

“That first 20 against Telford backs up what we’re trying to achieve here. When we play like that, which is how we want to be playing every game, in every period, then we are a real handful.

“It’s just a case of getting that down consistently and getting that kind of performance out of the guys every time we’re on the ice, rather than just in parts of games.

“Some of that is down to not having enough depth to roll three lines to play that way consistently, but the vast majority of the guys that we’ve got here are starting to learn that that is the way we want to play and that is our identity moving forwards.

“If we can back that up over the last six games, we’ll all know where we stand over the summer.”

The hectic conclusion to the season begins on home ice tonight when the Chiefs will target a second straight win over Hull Pirates, who they edged out 4-3 in overtime last month thanks to Lewis Baldwin’s overtime winner.

Tomorrow brings a trip to second-placed Swindon Wildcats, who need a win to stand any chance of denying Telford the regular season title.

Then it it is back to Elland Road on Sunday for a final clash of the season with Milton Keynes Lightning who, after last week’s 7-4 home win over Leeds, hold a 5-2 edge in the head-to-head series.

Leeds will be without two-way forward Jordan Kelsall who is away with parent club Nottingham Panthers all weekend, while winger Connor Henderson is only available to face Swindon and Milton Keynes.

Goaltender Sam Gospel suffered no relapse after returning from a brief injury lay-off last weekend, with Harrison Walker set for back-up duties against Hull and Widnes’ Under-18s netminder Jake Lowndes acting as second-choice for the rest of the weekend.