Manitoba Moose grab key two points in standings race, despite meltdown, with shootout win over Stars

The Moose split their last two-game set against the Admirals but blew a 4-0 lead to win on Tuesday 4-3 and then were demolished the next night by Milwaukee by a final score of 7-0. They came into tonight’s game with an opportunity if they got the win to get within two points of the Stars who sit in 3rd in the Central and they have a game in hand.

Lineup news:

Still no Tyrel Bauer who remains day-to-day. David Gustafsson continues to progress and did an IR skate this morning before AM skate.

Moose lineup:

Shaw-Ford-Duehr
JAD-Zhilkin-Fagemo
Yoder-Yager-Chibrikov
Barlow-Wahlin-Di Giuseppe

Phillips-Barteaux
Sautner-L.Gustafsson
Anhorn-Clague

Milic

Notable:

Jets prospect Brayden Yager opened the scoring for the Moose in this critical game. It’s his 10th goal of the season and 30th point. Big celebration of a nice goal.

Parker Ford with the tip on the power play to make it 2-0 for the Moose.

And the home team wasn’t done there. Phil Di Giuseppe with his 14th of the season as he scores unassisted to make it 3-0 for the Moose. That matches his career high in goals.

Not sure I’ve seen a nicer alley-oop goal as Walker Duehr takes the Mason Shaw pass and rips this shot home shorthanded to make it 4-0 for the Moose.

Things were going swimmingly for the home team but then they gave up a late 2nd period power play goal which got Texas on the board. And then they gave up another goal in the middle frame with one second left on the clock. And it was not a nice goal.

The Stars kept coming as they scored their third straight to get within one. Originally looked like it was another weak goal that Milic gives up but replay shows it deflected off the Moose defender and past him.

Moose with a chance to clear the puck fail to do so giving up their second goal of the game in the final 10 seconds of a period. This one allowed the Stars to storm back and force OT. Total missed opportunity for Manitoba who could have been 2 back of Texas with game in hand if they had won clean.

Credit the Moose PK which came up big in OT as somehow this puck stayed out and extra time continued.

Thomas Milic made both stops of the shots he faced. Nikita Chirikov scored on the backhand with the first attempt for the home team while Danny Zhilkin got the shootout game-winner also with the backhand. It was his second shootout game-winner of the season.

Not ideal to blow a 4-0 lead says Captain Obvious but the Moose salvage things with a 5-4 shootout victory over the Stars.

Central standings:
3. Texas 75 (3)
4. Manitoba 72 (4)
5. Milwaukee 67 (5)

Multi-point game:

Nikita Chibrikov 2A
Dylan Anhorn 2A

Highlights:

Players & Coach post-game media:

Up next:

The team is scheduled to skate but expect just the extras to hit the ice as they get set for the re-match on Sunday which closes out the home portion of the regular season.