Moose playoff hopes take a big hit as they lose 6-2 to the Wild in Iowa

The Moose left Manitoba on a four-game road trip. It was imperative they get points if they wanted to stay in the hunt for the fifth and final playoff spot. They got off to a less than ideal start with a loss in Chicago but they did get a win in OT on Saturday to pick up a valuable two points. However they really needed a sweep of the Wild in Iowa rather than a split if they wanted to make their playoff hopes a reality.

Lineup news:

For the fourth straight game Axel Jonsson-Fjallby was not available to play. Simon Lundmark returned after missing the game on Saturday.

Lines & D pairs:

Shaw– Toninato –Suess
Gengenbach – JAD – Lambert
Wagner – King – Vitelli
Empey – Zhilkin–Golder

Coghlan– Salomonsson
Phillips – Lundmark
Sautner – Bauer

Driedger

Notable:

To show you how difficult goal scoring has been for Manitoba the captain Dominic Toninato took over the lead with his 15th of the season which tied up the game in the 1st period. He took it over from Parker Ford who is out long-term with an injury and only played 41 of the 58 games for the Moose.

The visitors were playing catch-up all game which they did again in the middle frame when defenceman Isaak Phillips directed this long rebound opportunity home to tie the game for the Moose with his third goal of the season.

However the Wild would add another in the middle frame, two more early in the final one to take a 5-2 lead over the Moose before putting the icing on the cake with a sixth goal with just under seven minutes remaining.

With the loss the Moose are back into the basement of the Central sitting 10 points back of the IceHogs with 14 games remaining.

Multi-point game:

None

Highlights:

Player Post-Game:

Up next:

The Moose will practice in Iowa on Monday before they head to Rockford to close out the trip.