The Skinny:
The Moose points streak of 12 games with at least a point (11-0-0-1) at Bell MTS Place came to a crashing halt yesterday afternoon when the Admirals held on for the 6-5 win. They would need a big effort against their Central Division rival today to end the homestand on a positive note.
Moose Lineup:
Harkins-Shaw-Griffith
McKenzie-Spacek-Lipon
Fejes-Girard-Reichel
Pedersen-Maclise-D’Aoust
Stanley-Poolman
Schilling-Beaudoin
Oligny-Nogier
Berdin
Comrie
Game Play:
– Once again Marko Dano took pre-game warm up skate but wasn’t able to dress;
– Moose went with same lineup aside from Berdin starting in net;
– Game began rather oddly with starting Admirals goalie Troy Grosenick pulling himself 1:50 into the 1st;
– A Moose player had been pushed into him and he must have tweaked something;
– Unlike the NHL the AHL doesn’t have an emergency goalie on stand-by;
– Tight opening 20 minutes of play;
– Nelson Nogier scored his first goal in two season although it may have deflected off a Moose player to open the scoring;
– 52 seconds later Logan Shaw tapped in a Harkins pass to make it 2-0;
– Lots of post-whistle antics from both squads in the eighth and final meeting between these two rivals;
– Admirals came out with some gusto to start the 3rd and a defected puck made it a one-goal game;
– In one of the most unusual plays I’ve ever seen live an own goal by the Admirals made it a 3-1 game;
– Logan Shaw was credited with the goal (his second of the game);
– Milwaukee got one back late but that was as close as they would come.
Photo Credit: Dave Mahussier
Streaks:
– Michael Spacek hit the four game mark with the assist he picked up on the first Moose goal (2G 3A);
– Nelson Nogier’s goal was his first of this season and last (although he only played 13 games last season due to injury);
– Jansen Harkins with the assist on Logan Shaw’s goal hit the 20 point mark (11G 9A) for the first time in his pro career;
– Moose pick up a point in 13 of their last 14 games at Bell MTS Place (25 points of a possible 28).
Notable:
In an unusual twist the winning goal for the Admirals on Sunday and the Moose today were both empty net goals.
Standings:
With the win Manitoba improves to 25-22-3-2 and the Moose find themselves three points back of a playoff spot with two games in hand on Rockford who hold the fourth and final playoff spot in the Central Division.
Next Game Action:
The Moose now hit the road on Tuesday for six games away from Winnipeg starting with a 10 AM CT contest with the Marlies on Wednesday in Toronto.
