DAVID Clarke is enjoying his most productive season since turning professional, but he insisted today: “It will count for nothing if we don’t win trophies.”
Panthers are still gunning for silverware on three fronts – the league, the Challenge Cup and the end-of-season play-offs.
This weekend, they face a revitalised Cardiff Devils at the National Ice Centre as they bid to maintain their chase for the Elite League title.
And the following night, they travel to South Wales for the first leg of the cup against the Devils, with the second leg at the NIC on March 9.
Clarke is one of five Panthers players in the league’s top 20 points scorers, after netting his 33rd goal of the season in the 7-2 hammering of league leaders Coventry on Saturday.
“It’s good that I am continuing to improve stats-wise on a personal level,” he said.
“After all, that’s what a player like me should be aiming to do every year.
“I’m still only 28 so there is hopefully more to come.
“But it’s all about winning trophies. That’s how teams and players are judged.
“It says a lot that we are still in the chase for three trophies, not just staying fit and getting ready for the play-offs.
“We have realistically been chasing trophies since the start of the season and it’s good for the supporters that we have been able to do that.
“Our fan base is still increasing and the reduced eight-team league has had little effect, although it’s sad that other teams might be feeling it.
“When we played Sheffield in the Challenge Cup final three years ago, we had less than 5,000 in Nottingham for the first leg.
“We now get more than that on a regular basis for league games.
“That’s how far we have come.”
Like the rest of his team-mates, Clarke is confident they are not yet out of the running for their first Elite League title, despite being five points adrift of Coventry, with eight games to play.
He said: “As far as the league is concerned, we could be in a more ideal position but we’re still very much in it.
“Coventry only picked up two points from six games last week, so there is still hope.
“We also have two huge match-ups with Cardiff this weekend.
“Saturday’s home league game is a must-win if we want to keep on Coventry’s tail.
“And we know we will be in a war in the cup final at their rink.
“But we have enough players in our team who have encountered that in the past.
“Cardiff went through a spell of under-achieving, otherwise they would be up there with us now.
“With having a British goalie (Stevie Lyle) they have the luxury of playing an additional import.
“And that seems to be paying off for them now. We know it’s going to be a tough end to the season.
“We have to be mentally prepared – and if we are going to win championships, it’s going to hurt.
“But we’ll be ready.”