MK Lightning are getting set to face two Northern teams this coming weekend as they play host to the Sheffield Steeldogs on Saturday and then head up to Manchester for a rematch of last Saturday's 6-3 defeat. The team is in good spirits after a great week of training and also coming off last Sunday's 7-2 victory against Bracknell.
With defender Lewis Christie out for the weekend with minor ligament damage to his ankle it gives the team a chance to shuffle the lines slightly for the upcoming games. It is expected that Adam Carr will play some defence this coming weekend with Jacob slotting in up front after a very impressive match in Bracknell.
Head coach Nick Poole is looking forward to the challenges of the weekend and is confident that the team will put together two solid performances. 'I thought we got better as the game went on on Saturday against a very good side. We gave the Phoenix far too much time on the puck and were punished for it as we took too many penalties. This is something we can't do against a side with such a strong power play. I think we will give a better account of ourselves up in Manchester on Sunday despite the fact we will be missing one of our top players in Lewis Christie.' Poole went on to add, 'In Bracknell we looked far more confident on the puck and it was great to see some impressive individual performances from some of our younger players. Both Ross and Jacob are really looking the part this year and the team is feeling very confident with them in our lineup. It was important for the likes of Gary Clarke to get back on the scoreboard with two good goals. I think he is going to have another great year for us as he looks very sharp in training and seems to have a spring in his stride.'
Sheffield will be coming to MK full of confidence after a four point weekend from two overtime victories last weekend. They have young and hungry line-up that is full of energy and pace and it promises to be a great end to end match. Face-off is at 7pm. |
