The Manchester Monarchs arrive in Norfolk on Wednesday dead last in the ECHL’s North Division after a two-game weekend that was lacking in quality.
Outside of ten minutes in the first period on Friday against Adirondack and ten minutes in the third period against Maine on Saturday, the Monarchs were thoroughly outmatched during the homestand, losing both games 5-2.
“Needless to say, it was a disappointing weekend. We didn’t play our best hockey,” said Manchester Monarchs Head Coach Doug Christiansen. “There were spurts were there were a lot of positive signs but then there were spurts where we let our guard down and other teams capitalized.”
Manchester’s collapse didn’t rest on one single player or even one single moment. Instead, it came from an overall collapse regarding the fundamentals.
“When we’ve done the little things and we’ve relied on our structures, we’ve done a really nice job,” said Christiansen. “When we haven’t, or when we’ve deviated from our stuctures up front or made mental mistakes, the puck ends up in the back of our net. We need to make sure we limit these little mistakes so we can give ourselves the best opportunity to win.”
The Monarchs now head to Norfolk for a three-game set against the Admirals that Christiansen says will feel like a playoff series in terms of structure.
After Norfolk, the Monarchs face off against Worcester and Adirondack before returning home on Dec. 21
Three Stars
Top Star: David Kolomatis (1 goal, 2 assists, 0 +/-, 6 shots on goal)
Second Star: Matt Marcinew (1 goal, 1 assist, -2 +/-, 8 shots on goal)
Third Star: Spencer Watson (1 goal, 0 assists, 0 +/-, 4 shots on goal)
