Sydney Bears' Head Coach Tyler Huberty is aware of the threat of Dmitri Kuleshov. "He is a very good player," Huberty observed when asked about Dmitri. "He scored against us in the first game.

"If we make a mistake, he can make us pay. We need to keep the puck away from him and be aware of when he is on the ice. And we have to do a good job containing him.

"Shutting down their top line is a big part of the game plan," Huberty concluded.

The Bears are also missing key players heading into this weekend. Jake Riley had an excellent game leading up to a shoulder injury against Adelaide last weekend,

Huberty has been impressed with his commitment to the team, and even though there is no timeline for his return as he is still awaiting results, he has been working hard.

Another absentee is defenseman Brian Funes, who is representing Australia at the IIHF Division II A World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. "I'm happy for Brian Funes and him being on the national team, it's a big deal," Huberty declared. "I'm proud of him going out and representing his country."

The goals for this weekend are simple, according to Huberty. "I'm happy with our team so far, and I expect our team to continue building on the foundation that we put down in our first derby game.

"We're coming together as a team - it's a tight group. It will be fun to see us play our third game and see the growth of each player and the team since last game."

Traditionally a veteran team, two young players have earned looks in the top six early on this season - Eugene Ju and Noah Moncrieff.

"They've earned their opportunities," Huberty revealed to Hockey Hype Australia. "I've been impressed with Eugene's performance and happy with his game. He's been working very hard, I think he's a promising young player.

"Noah is a hardworking forward with some skill. He plays a hard game - goes to the net, corners, gets pucks. He's proven his skill set in his first games. I'm happy with what I've seen."

Another player who has impressed fans and coaching staff alike is Samuli Vainionpää. The Finnish star has played big minutes and is a game breaker.

"He brings a lot of experience," Huberty said, referring to Vainionpää. "He played in world juniors, played pro in Finland - as an import we are very happy with what he brings to the team. He's going to be a very important piece throughout the year.

HOW TO WATCH

The game is a Sydney Ice Dogs' home game, so you can get your tickets online by clicking here. Otherwise you can watch by subscribing to AIHL.TV. Special bonus is yours truly will be doing colour commentary on the broadcast.

Doors open at 7:00 pm, puck drop is at 7:30 pm AEST, and the Sydney Ice Dogs will have new merchandise available for fans along with fan activation activities.

This article is being published on both the Hockey Hype Australia and Sydney Bears websites with permission of both organisations and the author, Gordon Goodenough.