HULL, UK – Player-coach Omar Pacha believes a more passive approach at home can yield the desired results for Rapid Solicitors Hull Stingrays.
Stingrays have found themselves trailing by two goals at the end of the first period in two of their last three games at Hull Arena, which ended in 3-2 defeats.
One of those came against tomorrow night’s visitors Cardiff Devils (6.30pm face-off) and Pacha knows they need to provide a solid foundation to build from. 
He said: “Against any team in this league you need to get off to a good start otherwise you are playing catch-up.
“Those first few shifts are important and we want a strong start, we need to get pucks deep, make them turn, make life difficult and make them work hard.
“We need to keep it simple. We have been conceding early at home and chasing the game. We have given ourselves a chance but the first periods have killed us.
“Against Cardiff the last time I thought we controlled the pace in the second half of the game but we made too many mental mistakes in that first period and they were all over us. We need to do all the little things right and that is when we succeed as a team.”
Stingrays then head to Edinburgh Capitals in the Gardiner Conference on Sunday having taken three points out of four from two previous trips to Murrayfield, including a 6-3 triumph on December 28 courtesy of five final-period goals.
Pacha added: “Sunday in Edinburgh is another huge game against the team directly below us in the table.
“We have done well on the road recently, we have had a good mentality and have managed to steal some points.
“It was a tight game up there and very defensive but we got a couple of quick goals and it forced them to open up and when they did more chances came and we capitalised.
“It is important we get off to a good start and if we can get ahead it means they have to chase the game and we can then hit them on the counter-attack.”
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