After the Lynx suffered two losses in their season-opening weekend, new Augusta coach John Marks said Monday he'll make a change at the starting goaltender position.

Joel Martin , who started in goal for the first home and road games of the season on Friday and Saturday, will take a seat after giving up nine goals in 117 minutes.

When the Lynx return to the ice tonight for a game at Gwinnett, 20-year-old Riku Helenius will get his first start of the season. The Tampa Bay Lightning prospect joined the team last week after he was sent down from the American Hockey League's Norfolk Admirals.

Marks said Helenius' promotion to the starting lineup isn't necessarily a permanent one.

"Riku's going to play tomorrow," he said. "But the next three games, we'll just have to go from there and see what happens."

Martin, a six-year veteran, gave up four goals on the first 10 shots he faced on Friday. He also was in goal for the 5-3 loss to the South Carolina Stingrays on Saturday.

Martin improved his save percentage in North Charleston, S.C., by turning away 33 of 38 shots.

"I thought he played pretty well (against the Stingrays)," Marks said. "The first goal was unfortunate. They shot it from behind the net, and it hit his pad and went in, but other than that he played pretty well."

SKATING NORTH: The Lynx have embarked on a seven-game road trip that will last through early November.

After tonight's game against the Gladiators, the team will return to Augusta just in time to begin an overnight, 800-mile trip to Elmira, N.Y., for a Thursday practice and a pair of games on Friday and Saturday. They'll swing by Reading, Pa., for a Sunday evening game to complete a brutal three-game weekend.

Marks said there's no concern about the long road trip.

"Not at all. Obviously, there's the old thing about getting to know each other a little more (on a road trip)," Marks said. "When you play game after game after game quickly, you get a chance to make some adjustments and see how they work right away, and then make some more adjustments. It'll be good for us."

The Lynx will play two more road games after this weekend before finally returning to James Brown Arena on Nov. 7, for a game against the Charlotte Checkers.

NEW CAPTAIN: Lynx forward Aaron Slattengren was named team captain before the season started and played his first professional game with the "C" on his jersey Friday night.

Slattengren said he tried not to approach the game differently.

"You don't want to change the way you play," he said. "I think the best way to do it is just lead by example."

The Lynx skated to a 4-2 loss, but Slattengren finished the night with a goal and an assist.

LYNX PHOTOS: Former Lynx player Wes Swinson , now the general manager of the Augusta Ice Sports Center, has run into a snag in his attempt to create a tribute to the Lynx in a portion of the lobby at the public ice facility.

"I'm having a serious problem trying to find team photos from each year," he said. "I know they did them. They're out there somewhere, but not one single person I've talked to said they had them."

Swinson said anyone with any information on past Lynx team photos can contact him at (706) 799-8227.