Manitoba Moose 2018-19
33-28-4-2 72 points (.537), 6th in Central Division, 9th Western Conference
Goals for per game: 2.55 (29th)
Goals against per game: 2.96 (12th)
Powerplay: 39-of-256, 15.2% (28th)
Penalty kill: 225-of-276, 81.5% (15th)
Top 3 Goals:
25 – Logan Shaw
13 – Seth Griffith
12 – Jansen Harkins
12 – Marko Dano
Top 3 Assists:
35 – Seth Griffith
28 – Michael Spacek
20 – Tucker Poolman
20 – Cameron Schilling
Top 3 Points:
48 – Griffith
44 – Shaw
37 – Spacek
Goalies
Eric Comrie – 23-16-4, .916 Sv %, 2.75 GAA, 2 shutouts
Mikhail Berdin – 8-6-2, .931 Sv %, 2.30 GAA, 1 shutout
Ken Appleby – 2-6-0, .881 Sv %, 4.03 GAA, 1 shutout
Just nine games remain on the Manitoba Moose regular season schedule, including games tonight and tomorrow against the Chris Thorburn and the San Antonio Rampage. The Moose currently sit one point back of a playoff spot in the Central Division, but with a game in hand over the Milwaukee Admirals (who sit in the fourth and final spot) and two in hand over the Texas Stars (tied in points with Milwaukee, but with an extra game played). The Moose currently hold the regulation and overtime win tiebreaker over both teams.
Since the last Farm Report, the Moose have played three road games, with two against the Colorado Eagles followed by a Wednesday night matchup against the Texas Stars.
The first of the two meetings between the Moose and Eagles saw Ken Appleby return to the Moose net for the first time since January 26, an outing that saw him give up eight goals on 31 shots.
Appleby had been called up from the Jacksonville Icemen earlier in the day, with Eric Comrie called up to the Winnipeg Jets and Mikhail Berdin under the weather. This time around, the goalie more than held his own, as Appleby stopped all 33 shots he faced en route to a 2-0 Moose win.
The offense powered by a first period Mason Appleton marker on the powerplay, when Kristian Vesalainen tried to find Seth Griffith for a backdoor tap-in, but the pass was deflected, only for Mason Appleton to deposit it behind the netminder.
The Moose added an insurance goal in the second period, courtesy a J.C. Lipon glove side wrister after Logan Stanley sent him in on a breakaway. The Eagles had a glorious chance to even things up late in the third when first Tucker Poolman then Peter Stoykewych, two penalty killing defenders, took penalties and the Eagles pulled their goalie to create 6-on-4, 6-on-3 and 6-on-4 chances that all went for not.
The next night, the two teams squared off again, this time with Mikhail Berdin in net for the good guys. Cameron Schilling opened the scoring, with a slap shot from the point going off the post but bouncing off of the back of Eagles keeper Pavel Francouz and going in, just as an Eagles penalty expired. The Eagles tied it up before the 1st was done, and while Michael Spacek had a chance to regain the lead go off the crossbar late in the period, it was 1-1 after one.
The Eagles took a lead early in the second, only for the Moose to tie it up on a long 5-on-3 chance, courtesy a double minor high sticking penalty and a five and a game boarding penalty that saw Jansen Harkins take a scary hit into the end boards. Harkins would be alright, and Tucker Poolman wired a one-timer from the right faceoff dot to tie it up after a nice feed from Logan Shaw.
Colorado had a power play chance late in the second, and three more in the third, but could not get anything else by Berdin. The game went to overtime, where Tucker Poolman ended it on a sweet backhand after a great individual effort, giving the Moose the 3-2 win.
This is what is referred to as a REALLY BIG GOAL! #GoMooseGo pic.twitter.com/CVoxUrZPqU
— Manitoba Moose (@ManitobaMoose) March 24, 2019
A meeting with the Texas Stars saw the chance for the Moose to really take a firm hold on the fourth playoff spot slip away in the third period, as a 2-1 Moose lead became a 3-2 Stars win, as blowing third period leads is becoming a TNSE thing.
Texas opened the scoring in the first period, but Manitoba tied it in the second when a hard wrister from Marko Dano squeaked through and into the net. Manitoba gained the lead when Jansen Harkins drew attention away from Seth Griffith sitting alone by the side of the net, and a quick pass was quickly converted into a 2-1 lead. However, Texas would score twice before the third was half over, and the game finished 3-2.
As mentioned earlier, the Moose play today and tomorrow against the Rampage, before returning to play at home against the Bakersfield Condors on Tuesday, which will open up the final homestand of the regular season.
Moose Lines on March 27, 2019
FORWARDS
Kristian Vesalainen / Logan Shaw / Mason Appleton
Marko Dano / Michael Spacek / J.C. Lipon
Jansen Harkins / Felix Girard / Seth Griffith
Hunter Fejes / Cam Maclise / Ryan White
DEFENCE
Logan Stanley / Tucker Poolman
Cameron Schilling / Nelson Nogier
Peter Stoykewych / Charles-David Beaudoin
GOALIES
Mikhail Berdin
Ken Appleby
Last Three Game Scores (Outscored Opponents 7-5)
Friday, March 22
2 Manitoba Moose @
0 Colorado Eagles
Moose Goals: Appleton (11), Lipon (11)
Goalie: Appleby 33/33
Saturday, March 23
3 Manitoba Moose @
2 Colorado Eagles
Moose Goals: Schilling (5), Poolman 2 (5)
Goalie: Berdin 35/37
Wednesday, March 27
2 Manitoba Moose @
3 Texas Stars
Moose Goals: Dano (12), Griffith (13)
Goalie: Berdin 29/32
