Opening draw
At 2-8-3 in their last 13 outings, the Providence Bruins have whittled off four of their last seven points at the expense of the Manchester Monarchs. They are technically unbeaten in their last three bouts with Manchester, having conceded two shootouts on the road and won a 1-0 thriller at home Nov. 11.
As it happens, that has been the P-Bruins’ only home victory in six tries (1-4-1) since Halloween.
With Manchester paying its fourth and penultimate visit of the regular season to the Dunkin Donuts Center Friday night, they will vie to renew their lately elusive victory potion to drench an eight-game victory drought (0-6-2).
In their last extramural engagement, and last meeting with the Monarchs, the Bruins cut off a succession of four straight regulation losses and matched a season high with four goals in 60 minutes. Although, Jordan Caron had a hand in two of those goals and has since returned to Boston.
Notable names
Monarchs’ defenseman David Kolomatis has tallied three of his four goals this season in three different encounters with the P-Bruins, the latest being last Saturday up at Verizon Wireless Arena. With his goal Nov. 27 at Bridgeport, Kolomatis has tuned the opposing mesh twice in his last four games overall.
Following a six-game production drought, forward Brandon Kozun is fostering a season-best five-game point-getting streak, tallying two goals and three helpers in that span. That doubles his point total from where it was prior to the streak.
Winger Dwight King has three assists through the first half of the Monarchs-Bruins season series. Center Marc-Andre Cliche has an assist in each of the Monarchs two home dates with Providence so far, but has been held pointless in all three visits to The Dunk.
Miscellany
The Monarchs are 2-for-18 on the power play over their last five games, their only two conversions coming in their last clash with the P-Bruins, when each team went 2-for-6.
If winning percentages are any indication, Manchester is on pace to finish second in the Atlantic Division, but to grab the eighth and final playoff spot on the Eastern Conference leaderboard.
