WINLESS Hull Stingrays head to Dundee Stars on Sunday facing a potential defensive crisis.
Still awaiting the arrival of new signing Brendan Jamison, Stingrays lost import defencemen CJ Chartrain and Omar Pacha to injury before the end of their 5-2 defeat to Edinburgh at Hull Arena.
It means they could travel north of the border with just one fully-fit import defenceman in Yan Turcotte.
Chartrain was taken to hospital to have stitches in his face, while Pacha is nursing an arm injury.
Forward Sam Towner also has a facial injury.
It looks certain import forward Dominic Osman will have to continue on defensive duties, while Stingrays may call on veteran Pavel Gomeniuk to fill in again.
A frustrated Rapid Solicitors Stingrays player-coach Pacha said: "We'll see if I'm in the line-up, although I think CJ will play. I don't know about Pavel either at the moment.
"We've just got to play smart defensive hockey in Dundee, like Edinburgh did tonight."
After a goalless first period, Edinburgh took a 23rd-minute lead through Jade Porwood, only for a stunning finish from Carl Lauzon and a blue-line shot from Osman to turn the tables in Stingrays' favour four minutes later.
However, from Stingrays looking in control, two defensive lapses in 20 seconds allowed Rene Jarolin and Joe Grimaldi to put Capitals 3-2 in front at the second break.
Dennis Rix's 44th minute goal stretched the Capitals' lead, before Stingrays put the pressure on but could find no way past the excellent Tomas Hiadlovsky.
Portwood finished the scoring with an empty-net goal in the final minute.
Pacha said: "We just had some mental lapses for some reason and Edinburgh played an excellent road game.
"We were 2-1 up and then we decided to give them two goals and that was the difference."
