Lynx loss made worse

Less than 10 minutes after the Augusta Lynx lost 6-2 to the Pee Dee Pride on Tuesday, Lynx coach Stan Drulia already had made three phone calls.

That's what you have to do when you start a game one player short and end it with two open spots on the bench.

"That was a pretty tough finish there today," Drulia said.

Forward Jarrett Thompson and defensemen Steve Munn, Lawne Snyder and Rod Sarich all watched the game from one of Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center's luxury boxes.

Defenseman John Cronin will be joining those four in suits for the Lynx's game tonight in Charlotte.

"That's how the game goes," Drulia said. "You're on a roll and everybody's healthy and then all of a sudden a door doesn't close."

The Lynx lost Cronin when he plowed into the wall in one of the corners in the second period.

Just like fellow defender Treavor Peterson did Sunday afternoon, Cronin hit the wall so hard the door opened. Cronin fell halfway outside the rink, but got up on his own, unlike Peterson. A few minutes later, though, he skated limply off the ice with an apparent knee injury.

Drulia said Cronin's status is "not good."

Drulia also doesn't envision the return of Snyder or Sarich before the weekend, which is bad news for the Lynx, who have three games in the next four days and seven games in the next two weeks.

"That's pretty tough," Drulia said. "We're putting a lot of pressure on a couple guys back there and we've got to try and find a way to help them out."

Peterson, Phil Cole and Sean Connolly are the Lynx's only healthy defensemen and Peterson is still banged up from his encounter Sunday. Mike Sandbeck, usually a center, started the game on defense to give the Lynx an extra body in the back and scored his first goal of the season.

But when Cronin got hurt, Drulia had to move Todd Bennett to defense.

Defense was about the last place the Lynx wanted to put one of their hottest scorers.

Entering Tuesday's game, Bennett had an eight-game scoring streak that included seven goals and 15 points.

The streak ended Tuesday.

"It kills," Drulia said. "It screws up all our line combinations. We found something that has been working for us here for a while and that's tough, but we have to deal with it. These are the cards we're dealt right now and we have to find a way to keep our momentum going. We've got a good thing going."

The Lynx (12-17-3) are 5-2-2 in their past nine games.

Both losses came to the Pride (19-12-2), who have beaten the Lynx all five times they've played this year.

Reach Kristy Shonka at (706) 823-3216 or kristy.shonka@augustachronicle.com.

STAR OF THE GAME: Pride center Brian Collins had a hat trick before the second period ended, including two power-play goals.

TURNING POINT: The Pride answered 24 seconds after the Lynx's first goal and remained in control the rest of the game.

MINUS: The Lynx were left with just three natural defensemen after John Cronin was slammed into the wall in the second period. Cronin's injury left the Lynx with 14 available skaters instead of the usual 16.

TONIGHT: 7 p.m., Lynx at Charlotte

PRIDE 6, LYNX 2

Pee Dee231-6

Augusta110-2

First period: 1, Augusta, Magowan 13 (Connolly, Johansson) 2:49 (pp). 2, Pee Dee, Collins 16 (Elzinga) 3:13. 3, Pee Dee, Spurr 7 (G. Johnson, Sirois) 10:16. Penalties-Naud, PD (hooking) 1:13; T. Johnson, PD (tripping) 13:04; Shepherd, AUG (tripping) 14:27.

Second period: 4, Pee Dee, Collins 17 (Spurr, Kindle) 3:00 (pp). 5, Augusta, Sandbeck 1 (Goulet, Connolly) 3:59. 6, Pee Dee, Sirois 11 (G. Johnson, Vodrazka) 13:05. 7, Pee Dee, Collins 18 (Kindle, Spurr) 18:12 (pp). Penalties-Sandbeck, AUG (high sticking) 2:44. Dzieduszycki, AUG (roughing) 18:07.

Third period: 8, Pee Dee, Szwez 10 (none) 16:08. Penalties-Mullen, PD (interference) 7:28; Dzieduszycki, AUG (slashing) 13:52; Elzinga, PD (roughing) 17:26; Magowan, AUG (roughing) 17:26; Chin, PD (slashing) 18:14.

Shots on goal: Pee Dee 14-13-9-36, Augusta 13-13-10-36. Power-play opportunities: Pee Dee 2-for-4, Augusta 1-for-6. Goalies: Pee Dee-Boucher (36-34; W, 12-9-2); Augusta-Kostur (14-12; ND); Saal (22-18, L, 7-8-3). Referee: David Banfield. Linesmen: Jason Finley, Todd Owen. A: 2,049.