We're only bounce or two away from getting points
FORWARD Cale Tanaka believes his side are "just a couple of bounces away" from grabbing quality Elite League points.
The Rapid Solicitors Hull Stingrays have won just once in 10 games and sit bottom of the table as the league programme reaches its midway point.
Four points adrift of the play-off places, with a game in hand, they face a tough time at Cardiff tonight and against Sheffield in Hull tomorrow.
But Tanaka remains confident Stingrays can push their way up the table.
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He said: "We had one bad game against Nottingham earlier in the season, but we've been in pretty much every single match.
"I feel we're just a bounce or two away from shocking a lot of people and getting quality points.
"We need to listen to Sylvain Cloutier, follow his leadership, keep putting in the effort and make sure we are on the up for the rest of the season as it's a tight league and every night matters."
It is a swift reunion for the 26-year-old Canadian, who is still nursing the after-effects of his pre-Christmas encounter with the Steelers.
It was his first game back after damaging his AC shoulder joint against Fife in early November.
While his shoulder survived more than its fair share of "attention" from the Steelers, he's still sporting a plaster on his nose.
"I took a hit and my helmet came down and the visor cut off a thumb nail piece of skin on my nose," said Tanaka.
"It will take time to heal, it may need a skin graft, but we'll see in a couple of months down the road."
Given the physical nature of that encounter, and 24 hours later in Cardiff, it was fortunate Tanaka had given his shoulder time to heal.
The concern was ensuring the joint could withstand crunching hits.
"The game against Sheffield was a big test for it, and it was sore afterwards, but that's only to be expected," said Tanaka.
"It's fine now and in taking my time to get it healed I did the right thing.
"I still got back in between six and eight weeks, in fact it was just a little over six weeks. It was pretty much the quicker end of the spectrum.
"It came to the point where I needed to get back in the line-up.
"You don't want to watch when you feel you can be playing. I had tested it with the physio and it felt like the right time."
The right time has coincided with Stingrays' better run of form, with the 4-2 loss to Sheffield followed by a 2-1 overtime defeat in Cardiff, a 1-0 win over Edinburgh and a 5-4 setback in Belfast.
"We've played three or four pretty solid games since I've returned," said Tanaka.
"I am happy to be part of it and in a more contributing sense rather than just a voice in the dressing room and not contributing on the ice.
"It feels good to help the boys out, hopefully we'll keep up the effort and the good stuff will keep on coming.
"We're a couple of bounces away from winning quite a few games."
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