As Kevin Conley told us this morning these games are all like Game 7 because the Moose need points if they want to play in the playoffs. Coming into tonight’s game they were nine points back of the Icehogs for the 5th and final playoff spot in the Central with both teams having 13 games (including tonight) remaining on the schedule. Rockford actually got started earlier than Manitoba and by the 3rd period of this game we knew they had won their game over Grand Rapids and had increased their lead to 11 pending the outcome of the game between the Moose and Canucks.
Lineup news:
Forward Kevin Conley returned to the lineup as he had been out since January 11th. After joining the team on the road Winnipegger Reece Vitelli played his first game in front of his family and friends wearing a Moose jersey. And on defence Tyrel Bauer returned to the lineup.
Lines & D pairs:
Shaw– Toninato –Suess
Wagner – JAD – Zhilkin
AJF – King – Lambert
Empey – Conley–Vitelli
Sautner– Salomonsson
Phillips – Coghlan
Lundmark – Bauer
Driedger
Notable:
It was a good start for the home team who outshot the visitors 5-1 until just past the 12 minute mark of the opening frame. But over the next 2:23 the wheels fell off for the Moose. In just 26 seconds they gave up goals on the second and third shots of the game for the Canucks.
In need of a response the Moose got one courtesy of Axel Jonsson-Fjallby 10th goal of the season which came just 1:18 after the second goal by Abbotsford.
If this doesn’t sum things up for the Moose I don’t know what does: They come this close to tying the game after getting within one and the Canucks turn the puck back up ice and re-take a two goal lead. That came just 2:23 after the first goal by the visitors. Quite the turn of events.
Moose goalie and Winnipegger Chris Driedger did shut the door for almost the rest of the way including making 13 stops in the middle frame including this one to keep his team within two goals of the Canucks.
That proved big (at least temporarily) as Axel Jonsson-Fjallby got his second of the game which put Manitoba down by one late in the 3rd.
Unfortunately for the Moose they had to kill off a late penalty taken by Reece Vitelli which they had for most of it but just as it was about to end and put Manitoba to 5 on 5 with less than a minute to go, the Canucks made them pay scoring with 45 seconds left to make it a 4-2 game.
Canucks would take it 4-2 over the Moose which means Manitoba sits 11 back of a playoff spot with 12 games to go. Not an enviable spot to be in as the season winds down.
Multi-point game:
AJF 2G
Dylan Coghlan 2A
Highlights:
Player Post-Game:
Coach Post-Game:
Up next:
The Moose will have a re-match with the Canucks tomorrow night. Puck drop is at 6 PM CDT.
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