The Moose began their six-game homestand on Saturday afternoon with a 3-1 loss to the Wild. Knowing how important these points are to a team that sits in the cellar today was a must win game to earn a split against an Iowa team that’s sitting in the next spot in the Central Division. Big question mark coming into the game was whether Jets prospect Chaz Lucius (2021 1st) would be ready to return after missing the last two games.
Lineup news:
Chaz Lucius was ready to return today and he drew back in for fellow Jets prospect Danny Zhilkin. On the backend there was a swap with Tyrel Bauer coming out for Dylan Anhorn. In net it was Kaapo Kahkonen after Jets prospect Domenic DiVincentiis lost in the opener (33 saves on 35 shots).
Lines & D pairs:
Shaw– Toninato –Ford
Suess – King – Lucius
AJF – JAD – Lambert
Liwiski – Wagner – Empey
Sautner – Salomonsson
Phillips – Coghlan
Anhorn – Barteaux
Kahkonen
Notable:
The special teams were working for Manitoba this afternoon as they used an early 1st period power play to open the scoring. It was a nice effort from Dylan Coghlan who got his third goal in antlers to make it a 1-0 game.
The defenceman wasn’t done there as Dylan Coghlan put everyone inside CLC on hat trick watch as he got his second of the game with a big blast.
And the Moose continued to add to their lead in the 1st period as Parker Ford, who was red-hot before he got recalled to the Jets where he made his NHL debut (and scored), remained on fire scoring his team leading 12th to make it 3-1.
It was quite the opening period of hockey with three goals, going 2/2 on the power play and outshooting their opponent 18-7 after 20 minutes.
After the Wild made it a one goal game just 4:11 into the 2nd on their first shot of the middle frame, the Moose regained their two-goal advantage courtesy of Axel Jonsson-Fjallby’s fourth goal of the season.
AJF joined Coghlan on hat trick watch just over two minutes later as his second of the game made it a 5-2 lead for Manitoba finding himself all alone to deposit a pass from Brad Lambert.
But the lowest scoring team in the AHL was not done there. Former Wild forward Mason Shaw put home his ninth of the season as he followed up a Dominic Toninato breakaway attempt and put home a loose puck.
Parker Ford with an excellent forecheck to force a turnover and then headed to the front of the net where he got his second of the game to make it 7-2 for Moose. That was Ford’s ninth goal in his last 11 games.
Manitoba had three players on hat trick watch (Ford, Coghlan & AJF) heading into the final frame.
And with just four seconds left in the game Parker Ford came that close to his first ever hat trick as a pro but he rings it off the post.
Multi-point game:
Dylan Coghlan 2G 1A
Brad Lambert 3A
AJF 2G
Parker Ford 2G
Mason Shaw 1G 1A
Dominic Toninato 2A
Elias Salomonsson 2A
Highlights:
Player post-game media:
Coach post-game media:
Up next:
The Moose are off tomorrow. They’ll practice in Winnipeg on Tuesday as they prepare to host the Stars on Wednesday night.
