Back-to-back losses wasn't how the Canberra Brave wanted to spend its weekend in Adelaide.
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But Brave captain Mark Rummukainen is confident his side can shrug off the disappointment going into the Australian Ice Hockey League finals.
The Brave was no match for a desperate Adelaide Adrenaline team, going down 6-2 on Sunday.
That followed a 5-2 defeat on Saturday night in a game that started two hours late after the Brave's flight was delayed and its baggage arrived separately.
Rummukainen refused to use that disruption as an excuse and believed the side would be able to regain its momentum before the finals in Melbourne on August 30-31.
"Everyone's been around long enough to realise you have some off games,'' Rummukainen said.
"It's better to have some off games now than in two weeks.
''We'll brush it off, re-set and get ready for the finals.''
The Brave is the first Canberra team to qualify for the finals of the AIHL since the competition started in 2000.
It's an amazing achievement for a club only formed in March after the demise of the Canberra Knights.
There was more drama on Saturday, as the Brave's flight from Canberra to Melbourne was cancelled because of fog.
The Brave travelled to Adelaide via Sydney instead, with only half the players' bags arriving on its flight and the rest a couple of hours later.
Sunday's game was more straight forward.
The Brave was down 4-0 at the end of the second period before hitting back twice to cut the deficit in half early in the third.
However, the Adrenaline rebounded with a couple of late goals to grab a vital win in front of its home crowd.
The Brave finishes its regular season away to the Sydney Bears next Saturday night.
Melbourne Ice, the Melbourne Mustangs and the Sydney Ice Dogs were confirmed as the other finalists after Newcastle's faint hopes disappeared with losses on the road to both Melbourne teams.
The Ice Dogs, facing a tough road trip in Perth, won both of their games to clinch the final playoff berth. Trailing 0-1 at the last intermission on Saturday, the Dogs finally found a way past stellar Thunder goalie Mathieu Dugas to win 3-1. On Sunday, the Dogs trailed 2-3 after two periods, before they once again overpowered the hosts, their four third period goals ensuring they will get the chance to defend their title.
Ice celebrated their qualification for the finals with a resounding 7-2 win over Newcastle on Sunday, with a goal credited to goalie Jaden Pine-Murphy and stalwart import Matt Armstrong netting twice to bring up his 100th AIHL goal.
The talented North Stars lost their final chance to figure in the finals with a surprisingly meek 3-6 capitulation to the Mustangs on Saturday. Viktor Gibbs-Sjodin and Pat O'Kane were the stars for the Mustangs with two goals and two assists each.
SUNDAY: AUSTRALIAN ICE HOCKEY LEAGUE: Canberra Brave lost to the Adelaide Adrenaline 6-2 in Adelaide.
- with Will Brodie
