Northampton head hockey coach Brian Ruff is optimistic his team can avoid an act that hasn't happened in the past 14 years – missing the playoffs in the Lehigh Valley Scholastic Hockey League (LVSHL).

The Konkrete Kids began this week's play in fifth-place in the LVSHL one-division league in which the top four teams will make the postseason. Despite being within striking distance of the mark, Ruff has been discouraged with his team's recent 0-4-1 mark in their past five games after they had a 5-0 start.

They began this week with a 6-5-1 record and in fifth place.

"We're accepting losing," deadpanned the veteran coach. "We have been complacent in games and we haven't been aggressive. We're coming into games thinking that we can just show up and not have to worry about anything.

"We need to have a sense of urgency on the ice. We had the good start and then we started having breakdowns."

Ruff believes his team's 12-day layoff could be a blessing. He recounted a situation two years ago when his club was in a similar predicament and rebounded to win the rest of their games to finish second.

This year, the K-Kids will have six games left when they resume play Friday.

"Maybe (the layoff) will be a good thing," said Ruff. "After our last game, I told the kids that right now we wouldn't make the playoffs. They just gave me a look like what I am talking about. We recently tied the last-place team in the league and that should have not happened.

"I'm not the type of coach who yells, screams and jumps up and down to motivate his players. We have juniors and seniors here and I shouldn't have to do that. But we all have to be held accountable and it goes from the players to the coaches."

The K-Kids were third in goals scored (49), but they also allowed the third most goals in the league (52). Anthony Belsky leads the Kids with 24 points (14 goals, 10 assists) and Cody Croll has 18 points (8-10).

"We have six senior defensemen, and that has been one of our problems," said Ruff. "Cody (Croll) joined us after football and Colin (O'Donnell) was injured. We have had some other injuries, but we can't use injuries as an excuse."

In the final stretch of the season, Ruff expects his team to respond.

"Every game is a must one for us," he stated. "We have to think about every shift right now. We know we can be effective because of how we started the season. We have to step it up and get back to the playoffs."