Laval Rocket fail to launch as Manitoba Moose win 5-2

(1) Game Recap

The Moose (10-5-1-1) took on the Laval Rocket (9-6-2-0) in a Sunday afternoon matinee at the Bell MTS Plae. It was the first ever meeting between these teams, as the Rocket are the Montreal Canadiens’ new AHL franchise, located just north-west of their NHL parent club. The first place Moose were coming off a 6-4 win over Chicago, in which Jack Roslovic potted 2 goals and 2 assists in a dominant performance, and moved into 2nd place in AHL scoring.

First Period

Just 33 seconds into the game, Laval set up in the Moose zone and Michael McCaron made a lovely cross-ice feed over to Yannick Veilleux, who beat Hutchinson short-side.

With just under 5 minutes left in the first, Francis Beauvillier headed down the left side and fired a cross-ice pass out front with Mason Appleton heading hard to the net – get got his stick on it perfectly, beating Michael McNiven low.

Second Period

6:36 into the second, Julian Melchiori shot the puck into the Rocket zone, where the goaltender, McNiven, went to play it behind the net; the puck took a crazy bounce off the boards, and Michael Spacek had a practically empty net for his first career AHL goal.

Just a few minutes later, Peter Holland feathered a beautiful pass over to Michael McCaron standing in front, who put it on a tee for Daniel Carr in the slot – he burried low blocker side on Hutchinson.

Under two minutes after that, a beautiful feed by Sgarbossa set up Mason Appleton in the slot, and he sniped a wrist shot over McNiven’s glove on the short side to renew the Moose’s one-goal lead.

The Moose scored with .7 seconds left in the second – one of those goals where everyone on the ice contributed: Chase De Leo got the puck near centre and moved it up to Patrice Cormier on left wing; he fed a streaking Peter Stoykewych, who had joined the rush from the back-end, and passed it over to Buddy Robinson in tight, who got the puck over McNiven’s outstretched pad to give the Moose a comfortable 5-2 lead.

Shots after two periods were 34-13 for the Moose

Third Period

The rockets outshot the Moose 16-3 in the third, but were unable to make up any ground.

(2) Lineup

Lemieux-Roslovic-Petan
Robinson-Cormier-Appleton
Harkins-Sgarbossa-Lipon
Beauvillier-Spacek-De Leo

Scratches: Sutter, MacLise, Kramer

Niku-Stoykewych
Schilling-Beaudoin
Kulevich-Melchiori

Scratches: Gotovets, Nogier (injured)

Hutchinson
Comrie

(3) Official Scoring Summary

Game Summary.  Click here.

(4) Player Stats

Mason Appleton

• 2 goals 2 assists, including the go ahead goal, which became the game winner
  • A great drive to the net on the first goal, and a terrific shot on the second
• 6 shot attempts, 4 shots
• 2 high-danger chances
• He now sits 3rd in AHL rookie scoring, and tied for 13th overall in the league

Jack Roslovic

• Created a ton of chances early, just missing a few dangerous shots on the PP
• 5 shot attempts, 1 shot
• 2 high-danger chances

Sami Niku

• 1 assist (secondary) on the PP
• 5 shot attempts, 3 shots
• 1 high-danger chance created – a great look-off, then cross-ice pass through the seem on the PP
• Only Cam Schilling – the Moose’s de facto #1 d-man – is creating more chances from the back-end this season than Niku, and even then, not by much

Every Moose player had a shot attempt, and all but Harkins, Lipon, and Beaudoin had a shot on goal

(5) Post-game interviews:

(6) Next Game Action

Tuesday night at MTS Centre, once again facing the Laval Rocket.