by Mike Ries, Staff Writer, AHL Report
BRAMPTON, ON — The Brampton Beast finished up their seven game road trip over the holidays with stops in Reading, PA. and Adirondack, NY. entering the weekend. They dropped both games losing 3-2 to the Royals and 2-1 to the Thunder. The losses extended their streak to four straight games.
Defenseman Willie Corrin scored in his return to the lineup on Friday against the Royals after arriving back from a stint with the Laval Rocket. Goaltender Andrew D’Agostini got both starts and played well in his first action since December 16th.
The Beast returned home for a rematch against the Adirondack Thunder on Sunday afternoon. Adirondack handed Brampton its fifth straight loss coming out on top of a 4-2 decision. D’Agostini got his third consecutive start making 31 saves in the defeat.
The Beast look to rebound with a two-game homestand this Saturday and Sunday as they welcome the Fort Wayne Komets and the Adirondack Thunder.
The balanced scoring that the Beast have been relying on all season continues. Brampton is the only team in the ECHL with 13 players in double digit scoring through the first half of the season.
With the losing streak, the Beast have faltered as of late with 14 wins in 33 games finding themselves at the bottom of the North Division. They are currently eight points out of a playoff position with three games in hand on the Wheeling Nailers.
The Beast have continued to struggle on the power-play and have slid to a season low 20th overall in the ECHL. With the man advantage, Brampton is scoring at a 15.4 percent clip, far below the league-leading Wheeling Nailers with a 21.1 percent efficiency rate. The Beast are in the top third of the league in penalty-killing with a 84.3 percent rate.
In roster news, the Beast have re-signed veteran David Ling to help with their power-play woes. The 45-year-old veteran will add a veteran presence and a great shot from the half wall for the Beast. Ling had an assist in his first game back against the Thunder.
In the final days of 2017, the Belleville Senators recalled goaltender Marcus Hogberg. With this move and Zach Fucale up with the Laval Rocket, the Beast signed former Yale Bulldog goaltender and two-year veteran of the SPHL, Patrick Spano.
Defenceman Jordan Henry will be lost for another four to six weeks after taking a hit from behind on New Year’s Eve against Cincinnati.