COACH Sylvain Cloutier is demanding his Hull Stingrays players "find their A-game" against Edinburgh Capitals at Hull Arena tomorrow night.
His strugglers have won just three times in 18 games to prop up the Elite League.
They are three points adrift of second-bottom Capitals and six off the play-offs.
They do have games in hand, but Cloutier knows the Rapid Solicitors Hull Stingrays are running out of time to move up the table.
He said: "We have to come out storming tomorrow.
"We can't afford to lose. We need everyone to have their A-game, show up and demonstrate how badly they want to win it."
Continuing to carry a spare 12th import, Cloutier must again decide who sits out against Edinburgh.
For Saturday's 5-2 victory over Fife it was Janis Ozolins, while for Sunday's 5-1 defeat in Kirkcaldy Ryan Hand was the "healthy scratch".
Hand's job appears safe short term, but speculation suggests tomorrow could prove Ozolins' last Stingrays game, even though another deal for a new import forward has just fallen through.
"Obviously, I'm happy we got the two points, but would have been happier with the four," said Cloutier.
"It makes the Edinburgh game even more critical."
