With only one point from the last week's Findus British National League games against Bracknell Bees and Guildford Flames, Newcastle M+M City News Vipers look to return to winning ways with a trip to Edinburgh Capitals tonight (face-off 6.0) and tomorrow entertain Dundee Stars at Newcastle Arena (face-off 6.0).
Vipers are without their influential captain Rob Trumbley with a shoulder injury sustained two weeks ago when Dundee were last on Tyneside when Newcastle won 6-2, their last victory. David Longstaff is back in the line-up after getting over flu.
There is no permanent netminder to Tommi Satosaari, who this week linked up with Slovenian side Olimpija Ljubljana.
Fellow Finn Pasi Raitanen, released by Elite League side Sheffield Steelers, will once again be guesting for Vipers.
General manager Clyde Tuyl said: "At this late date in the season, there is not a whole lot of goalies looking for work. The benefit we have in the near term and possibly long term is the availability of Pasi.
"Sheffield are releasing him after bringing in someone else. Pasi came in and did a good job for us.
"We've not had a long talk with him with what his status may or not be regarding work commitments, ability to practice and to play midweek games. We are still searching here, there and everywhere."
Edinburgh share second place with Dundee, 10 points adrift of leaders Fife Flyers after a 4-2 home defeat by Guildford Flames in midweek.
Two of the three league meetings between Capitals and Vipers have gone to overtime and each winning 5-4 while Newcastle won the other 5-2 in Murrayfield.
Capitals - in Tony Hand, Adrian Saul and Steven Kaye - have the leading three goal scorers in the FBNL with 62 goals between them, out of 98 goal from Capitals.
In Jan Krajicek they have one of the top defencemen in the league.
Dundee also lost in midweek by 4-2 at home to Guildford. They are in Guildford tonight before facing Vipers on their way back north of the Border.
Derek DeCosty (cracked ribs), Craig Phillips (eye), Dominic Hopkins (shoulder) and Patrick Lochi, whose wide gave birth to a daughter on Thursday, are all absent.
Stars coach Roger Hunt will be bringing in some players from their Scottish National League side Camperdown Stars who have no games this weekend.
Vipers will have Paul Graham, Robert Wilson, Bryan Dunn and Andrew Thornton available for tomorrow's game, but the first three have Whitley Warriors commitments tonight.
Warriors visit Sheffield Scimitars in English National Hockey League Cup North at ice Sheffield (face-off 7.15).
Coach Gary Wood has the same squad available that lost 5-8 at home to Bradford Bulldogs, making qualifying for the play-offs a little difficult.
Sunderland Chiefs have two home games in English National Hockey League North this weekend at Newcastle Arena.
Blackburn Hawks are today's visitors and Bradford Bulldogs visit tomorrow (both noon).
Chiefs are expected to be at full strength.
Billingham Bombers' ENHL Cup North match at Forum Ice Arena tomorrow against Sheffield Scimitars is off due to ice plant repairs not being completed.
