EDINBURGH CAPITALS' Mark Garside scored three times at the weekend and believes the team is moving in the right direction, but has warned that more players are needed.
The Great Britain hit-man, Britain's Young Player of the Year last season, looked at home in back-to-back defeats by Nottingham Panthers who are tipped to go all the way in the Elite League title race.
But despite his efforts, Edinburgh Capitals
now sit in eighth place in the ten-strong table with a disappointing record of two wins in nine starts. What's more, they have shipped 12 goals in two home games and their goals-against record is now tied at the second worst in the league on 38.
Garside said: "We're learning and it is getting better but we need to play for 60 minutes. We've got a short bench and we get tired and the concentration goes. Mistakes happen when guys are working for a long time."
Capitals suffered a 6-1 defeat on Saturday but pushed Panthers all the way at Murrayfield last night, losing out 6-5 after they battled back from a seemingly hopeless position of 4-0 down to tie the game at 4-4 before late errors let Panthers back in.
It was Garside's well-taken shorthanded goal which sparked the comeback and had the fans on their feet and Panthers supporters biting their nails.
Garside added: "I was angry after the first period last night. It could have been a lot more.
"The guys needed to wake up. In the second period the guys started working harder, making simple plays. We are still making mistakes but came out in the second and started finishing our hits. We got it back to 4-4 and they scored right away, however I didn't see their fifth goal as I was sitting gasping on the bench.
"We had them under the cosh near the end but they should not have got that empty-net goal as we had a guy slashed and it broke his stick."
Given that netminder Michal Robinson received praise from his boss for the majority of his performance, particularly in the early stages of last night's game, then Doug Christiansen, the club's director of hockey, has much to ponder this week.
He must now prepare his men for the visit of reigning league champions Coventry Blaze on Saturday. They are third in the table and have former Capitals netminder, J F Perras, between the pipes. However, Great Britain stars Kyle Horne and Iain Bowie still likely to be sidelined. Garside added: "You've got to get about their (Coventry's) defence which is the weak part of their team. After two defeats in a row we have to get two points from that game."
Panthers started where they left off on Saturday and they took control in the opening period, moving the puck well, making space and leaving Capitals chasing shadows as their slick passing set-up four unanswered goals.
Marc Levers opened the scoring in the sixth minute and Panthers quickly doubled their lead when Kevin Bergin counted 66 seconds later on the powerplay.
Panthers added a third goal from Bruce Richardson shorthanded in the 14th minute and Capitals were outshot 16 to 3 in the period.
Johan Molin struck on the powerplay only 11 seconds in the middle session to make it 4-0 but Garside's strike in the 31st minute was pivotal. Capitals added further strikes from Taylor Christie on the powerplay three minutes later and then Mark Hurtubise, with less than four minutes left, claimed their third, so Capitals went into the dressing room a single goal in arrears.
Garside shocked the large travelling support, which looked to outnumber the home fans, on the powerplay in the 56th minute to level only for David Clarke to shoot Panthers ahead again at 57 minuets 12 seconds.
Player-coach Corey Neilson made it 6-4 to Panthers shorthanded with 38 seconds left only for Capitals' new signing David Nimmo to open his account and reduce the leeway with 19 seconds remaining. Capitals were outshot 40-20 on the night and both sides converted only two of six power play opportunities.
On Saturday, six different goal scorers counted for Nottingham as they won each period and outshot their hosts 39-24.
It took only 29 seconds for Dan Tessier to fire the visitors ahead but the home side hit back quickly through Garside at 2min 54sec.
Panthers went ahead in the 12th minute with Marc Levers and they added a further goal through David Clarke in the 28th minute to take a 3-1 lead, and they did not look back.
Matt Myers made it 4-1 in the 44th minute and further goals came from Neilson and Molin inside the final ten minutes.
In the other Elite League games last night, Coventry lost at home to Belfast 3-2. Sheffield Steelers enjoyed a 6-2 home win over Basingstoke Bison and Manchester Phoenix won 7-2 away to Newcastle Vipers.
Other Saturday results: Hull Stingrays 2, Sheffield Steelers 5; Basingstoke Bison 1, Coventry Blaze 4; Cardiff Devils 1, Newcastle Vipers 2.
The full article contains 869 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
