WITH ONLY ONE WIN in their last six games, the Monarchs need to hold on before Tuesday's NHL trade deadline, when it is thought the parent club Los Angeles Kings will acquire a veteran or two to reinforce Manchester's run to the playoffs.
So far that "run" has been a wobbly stumble.
The Monarchs have a pair of home games Friday and Saturday with the Norfolk Admirals (Tampa Bay). Then Tuesday the Monarchs host the Lowell Devils (New Jersey). All games are at 7:05 p.m.
Norfolk and Lowell are last-place teams but lately it doesn't seem to matter. Manchester gained only one point of four in a pair of losses to Lowell last weekend and the difference just might have been five veterans in the Devils' lineup compared to the one NHL vet (captain Jon Klemm) playing for the Monarchs.
"It's been the story of our year," said Monarchs coach Mark Morris after Saturday's "no-contest" 5-1 loss at Lowell. "If I wasn't laughing I'd be crying."
Union Leader - Kevin Provencher's Monarchs Insider: Monarchs hoping for reinforcements as trade deadline looms - Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008
Monarchs hoping for reinforcements as trade deadline looms (Union Leader) 
