The Moose didn’t have a great homestand after starting the season on the road at 2-2-0-0. They came back to Manitoba where they went 1-3-0-0 with special teams being a big factor in the sweep last weekend at the hands of the Admirals. They kicked off their five-game road trip with a 3-5-0-0 record looking to arrest their slide starting in Texas against a Stars team that was 5-3-0-0 coming into the game.
Lineup news:
Up front only change was Tyson Empey came in for Daniel Torgersson. No Chaz Lucius (which isn’t a surprise as they weren’t sure he was gonna make trip). Also no Jaret Anderson-Dolan who was loaned back to the team but hasn’t had a chance to practice with them.
Elias Salomonsson back in after dealing with illness last game. As a result Ben Zloty came out.
Moose lineup:
Suess-Toninato-Ford
Conley-Lambert-AJF
Shaw-King-Chibrikov
Liwiski-Nikkanen-Empey
Sautner – Lundmark
Kuzmin – Bauer
Barteaux – Salomonsson
DiVincentiis
Notable:
With the way the PK was not working last weekend the advice to the Moose would have been to stay disciplined but they got called for the first couple of penalties in this game and the Stars made them pay.
They actually had a good response with Mason Shaw tying the game with his third goal of the season for the Moose just 33 seconds after giving up the first goal of the game although all hell subsequently broke loose as the feisty forward gets into it post-goal.
And then 17 seconds later the Moose cough up the puck and the Stars take a 2-1 lead. That’s three goals between the two teams in 50 seconds for those of you keeping track at home.
There was plenty of animus between these two teams that met for a double header to conclude the regular season in 2023-24 and then they had a play-in best of three series that they played in Texas.
A costly miscue from Moose goalie Domenic DiVincentiis as he put the puck up the boards but it was intercepted and put into his net before he could get set.
Stars added some insurance with another PP goal in the 2nd to make it a 4-1 game.
Can’t recall last time I saw someone open up the bench door while a fight was ongoing and then both players fell in. At the end of this play the refs handed out a five minute major to Mark Liwiski for spearing although upon watching the replay it looked like one of the Stars players grabbed his stick.
Approaching the midpoint of the 3rd period the Moose were being outshot 10-1 by the Stars which isn’t ideal when you’re down by three goals although part of that was due to the major penalty they were killing off.
A blast by Ben King brings the Moose within two late in the 3rd. Good screen in front by C.J. Suess.
An empty netter by Texas would seal the deal.
Stars goalie Magnus Hellberg was well out of his net to greet Tyrel Bauer as the Moose defender heads to the dressing room. Not sure that’s a good idea.
With the loss the Moose slide continues as they fall to 3-6-0-0 on the season and they’ve now lost six of their last seven games.
Multi-point game:
Ben King 1G 1A
Highlights:
Post-game interviews:
Up next:
The Moose will have a re-match tomorrow night against the Stars. Puck drop is at 5 PM CST.
