Picture by Al Goold Photo

The road to Playoff Weekend is officially underway, with both Group A and Group B teams battling it out in the first weekend of the Playoff Group stages. Only the top two from each group will earn their spot at Dundee Ice Arena in April—and it’s clear no one’s going down without a fight.

🔴 Dundee Rockets Make a Statement

The Dundee Rockets wasted no time showing they’re here for silverware, picking up two wins in two days.

Saturday saw them travel north to face the Aberdeen Lynx, and early signs hinted at a tight contest. The first period ended goalless, with both sides testing the netminders but failing to break through. It was the Lynx who struck first in the second period with a goal from Josef Babicka, but a powerplay equaliser from Sean Beattie levelled things up for the Rockets.

Momentum swung firmly in Dundee’s favour when Rio Page netted twice before the second break. The Lynx continued to press in the third but couldn’t convert, and it was Jack Henderson who sealed the 4–1 win for the Rockets midway through the final frame. These two teams will meet again this coming weekend—this time in Dundee.

On Sunday, the Rockets were on the road again, this time to Braehead to face the Paisley Pirates. With confidence high from the previous night, the Rockets stayed patient in a tight game. It wasn’t until the dying moments of the second period that Rio Page found the net on a power play. They came out flying in the third—Sean Beattie struck just 48 seconds in, and John Gordon followed with another less than a minute later. Despite pushing hard, the Pirates couldn’t break through, and the Rockets took a solid 3–0 win.

🔵 Capitals Shut Out Kestrels in Rivalry Clash

It’s always a fierce affair when Edinburgh Capitals face off against Kirkcaldy Kestrels, and Saturday’s Group B clash was no different—though this one ended in a dominant 5–0 win for the Caps.

Kestrels struggled with penalties throughout, and Edinburgh capitalised early with two powerplay goals from Joe Lynch in the opening period. Lynch completed his hat trick just a minute into the second, and captain Joel Gautschi added another to make it 5–0.

Despite high tensions and a scrappy third, the Kestrels couldn’t claw their way back. They’ll be aiming for revenge on home ice in the return leg.

🟡 Kestrels Rebound Against the Wild

The Kestrels returned to the ice on Sunday and were back in Fife to face North Ayrshire Wild in a much calmer contest.

Andy Finlay opened the scoring for the hosts before Wild’s Dylan Murray replied within a minute. But a late goal from Caiden Forbes put Kestrels ahead at the first break. In the second period, defences tightened up, but Allan Anderson added a third for the home side.

The Kestrels turned up the pressure in the final 20, with Jamie Wilson and Joshua Saunders adding to the tally—Saunders on the powerplay. Dylan Murray netted his second for Wild, but the damage was done. Final score: 5–2 to the Kestrels.

With the return game heading to North Ayrshire, Wild will be keen to flip the script on home ice.

📅 Save the Date – Playoff Finals Weekend

If you haven’t got your tickets yet, don’t wait! The Scottish National League Playoff Finals are set for April 19th & 20th at Dundee Ice Arena—and with the group stages already heating up, it’s shaping up to be a must-see weekend of hockey.

Book now and be part of the action!