Andrew Lord is an angry man – and he’s not in the mood for excuses after his Cardiff Devils team lost against Elite League bottom club MK Lightning.
Head coach Lord was shocked by an unusual lack of intensity in his team during a 3-2 overtime defeat.
He is demanding a big reaction from his players in Wednesday’s Elite League away match against Glasgow Clan in Scotland.
“No excuses, we get back at it on Wednesday,” said Lord. “Our approach was all wrong from the minute the guys walked in.
“We generated a lot of chances and some stuff was okay, but we let a team hang around and didn’t have that killer instinct.
“Lightning were desperate for this win, whereas I would question where we were at with that. They wanted it bad.
“It was incredibly frustrating.”
Lord tinkered with his lines during the third period and admitted: “Maybe I overdid it?”
Devils were without two players, Sean Bentivoglio and Mark Richardson, for MK’s visit and Lord will assign have to rest one import against Clan.
Cardiff earned three points from a possible four over the weekend, winning against Manchester Storm away before losing at home against Lightning after overtime.
“Milton Keynes are a better team that how they started this season,” said Lord. “They have a lot of speed, seven or eight really good forwards, an unbelievable goalie in Patrick Killeen and highly capable D-men.
“MK are also playing as a team.
“But there is no excuse for letting a team hang on in the way we did.”
Lord put across his message to the players loud and clear after the match against Milton Keynes – and they now four fixtures in eight days coming up.
The first two of those are in Scotland, against Glasgow on Wednesday in the Challenge Cup and then Fife Flyers on Saturday. Dundee Stars visit the Viola Arena on Cardiff Bay the following evening before Devils entertain Guildford Flames on Wednesday, December 5.
Cardiff Devils remaining fixtures in 2018
November
Wednesday 28 v Glasgow Clan (away, 7.30pm)
December
Saturday 1 v Fife Flyers (away, 7.15pm)
Sunday 2 v Dundee Stars (home, 6pm)
Wednesday 5 v Guildford Flames (home, 7.30pm)
Sunday 9 v Belfast Giants (away, 4pm)
Friday 14 v Glasgow Clan (home, 7.30pm, Challenge Cup)
Saturday 15 v Manchester Storm (away, 7pm)
Thursday 20 v MK Lightning (away, 7.30pm)
Saturday 22 v Dundee Stars (home, 7pm)
Sunday 23 v Guildford Flames (away, 6pm)
Wednesday 26 v Coventry Blaze (away, 6pm)
Thursday 27 v Coventry Blaze (home, 7pm)
Sunday 30 v Guildford Flames (away, 6pm)
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