**FYI, the video link in the article photo is from Game 2, so you may not want to watch it until later. It’s also below.**
The Manitoba Moose will continue their long homestand when they host the Chicago Wolves for games at the Canada Life Center on Saturday and Sunday afternoons (2:00 PM Central). Both clubs will come into action on a one-match winning streak after eliminating the opposition in their last match (Moose 5-1 vs. Senators and Wolves 8-4 over IceDogs).
The elk (10-7-2) opened this homestand with a pair of 1-goal wins over the Wolves (8-6-3) and these tightly contested cases reflect the franchises’ proximity in the AHL Central Division standings. Manitoba comes in at 3rd place with a 3-point lead over 4th-place Chicago, but the Carolina Hurricanes farm team still has a few games in hand (Win rates from .579 MB to .559 CHI). The two AHL teams do not have a point per player on their rosters and rely on depth scoring for their offense (8 moose players with at least 9 points against 7 of the wolves).
Manitoba goalkeeper Dominic DiVincentiis has returned to its starter role with the promotion of Thomas Milic…and the kid has played well, with six good starts in his last seven games. The veterans have led the way for the Moose so far, with guys like Mason Shaw (12 points), Walker Duehr & David Gustafson (11), and Phillip DiGiuseppe & Jarton-Dalan (10) tops the points leaders.
When it comes to the Winnipeg Jets prospects, it’s a rookie so far Brayden Yager & 3-year AHL veteran Danny Zhilkin (9 points) who have achieved the most success. Fellow newcomer Colby Barlow (5) came out of the gate in his debut campaign, but he has recently warmed up with 3 points in the last five games. The Jets’ recently returned prospects have had mixed success Parker Ford (3 out of 4) transitioning smoothly, while Nikita Chibrikov (1 in 4) and Brad Lambert (2 out of 6) still want to warm up offensively.
Enough of the prep stuff…let’s get to the action.
GAME 1 SUMMARY
Manitoba started off on the wrong foot when they were caught holding in the first minute of the match, but their penalty killers have been excellent this season (tied for 6th place with 84.1%) and they were able to save the day. Not only that, but also if Kyle Clague stepped out of the box where he was sent past in a breakaway Isaac Philips that ended with the Moose leading 1-0. Chicago plays very much like their NHL affiliate, Carolina Hurricanes, with wide holes and fast forecheckers causing all kinds of problems for the opposition. Manitoba outlasted the Winnipeg Jets, although the Wolves had the better play in the first period (shots 9-5 CHI). After Nikita Chibrikov After a high and late body check, the tough Moose man tried to force the Chicago player to fight on the next shift, but a denial left the defender alone in the box. The Wolves were finally able to solve it Dominic DiVincentiis with the man advantage, sending the clubs to the changing rooms at 1-1.
Manitoba was able to tie the game in the middle… and probably had the better scoring opportunities as they defeated Chicago 10-9 in the 2nd. Unfortunately, a series of posts or crossbars kept the Moose from taking advantage of their high-end scoring looks…with Parker Ford squarely ring a pole from the slot and the Danny Zhilkin did the impossible by hitting the right post, deflecting off the crossbar and then securing the left post before bouncing into the slot. Those were not the only good scoring opportunities for the home team, such as Zhilkin and Mason Shaw failed to capitalize on closing opportunities. The Wolves also tested DiVincentiis a few times, but the tender made a great stop on one timer shot and then another on a deflection in the middle of the slot.
A great push from the elk to open the third saw Walker Duehr call another post and Chibrikov gets completely stoned from the low lock. Unfortunately, a failed zone exit by Manitoba resulted in a Chicago cycle and a shot from the point. Moving to DiVincentiis’s far left, he moved forward to make the save, only for a covered but untied Bradley Nadeau to deflect it to the other side of the net. The home side tried to respond, but defensive coverage and tenacious forechecking largely kept the attack at bay. A late goal conceded as Manitoba pushed for an equalizer and an empty netter was all that was left to see.
Here are the statistics theAHL.com:
*****
THREE STARS
The loss in the series opener allowed Chicago to move within 1 point of Manitoba in the battle for third place in the AHL’s Central. Due to the sequential nature of the games, the Moose went with the Winnipeg native Isaac Poulter (2.85 GAA/0.915% in ECHL) for the first time since his recall from the Norfolk Admirals.
Coach Mark Morrison also played with his forward lines, opting to put the rookie in the middle Brayden Yager with fast Brad Lambert and sniper Samuel Fagemo on one unit. Let’s see if the tinkering worked…
GAME 2 SUMMARY
The first period of these two evenly matched clubs started out the same as the others this season, with both Chicago and Manitoba playing fast and trying to force the other team’s defenders into making a mistake. Even though the Wolves defeated the Moose 11-8, that’s when the first breakthrough came Brad Lambert began a rush across the ice before dishing out the puck Samuel Fagemo in the neutral zone. When the Swede entered the zone, the young Finn drove into the net and pulled the defender back to his goalkeeper. This opened a lane to the third member of Manitoba’s line and Brayden Yager received the pass in the slot with enough space, allowing him to pick his target and beat the goalkeeper to put his hometown club ahead.
The second period remained fairly evenly contested, although Chicago again won the shot battle 13 to 11. A remarkable first piece of the season for Tyrel Bauerwith whom a heavy battle had been fought Yanick Turcotte and ultimately gained the upper hand over his opponent, despite the resulting bloody knuckles. Unfortunately for those of you who enjoy fisticuffs, the fight wasn’t included in the game summary video below… but I went looking for it. It takes a while to get going and it takes a while. Enjoy.
With some good stops from each goalie, the score remained the same until a botched zone exit by Manitoba led to the puck finding its way to an uncovered Wolf player, who needed a few shots to squeak the puck into the net and tie things up. Things got worse for the Moose when they were given a late period penalty and their vaunted PK allowed a goal with 2 seconds left (pass to net bounced off skate in front).
Manitoba went into the final frame up 2-1 and they showed from the start that they were in no mood for a series sweep. The Moose outscored the Wolves 15 to 6, but still couldn’t beat them Cayden Primeau in the first half of the 3rd. The hometown boys kept up the pressure and eventually found the equalizer Kyle Clague threw the puck towards the net, allowing him to score Phillip DiGiuseppe the chance to score a rebound. The same line provided the starting signal six minutes later Nikita Chibrikov ran onto the ice, dangling the puck between his legs as he drifted over the net, before lifting the puck over the goalie to give his team a chance to win. Unfortunately, Isaac Poulter less than a minute later, a shot from the right face-off circle was misplayed, allowing Chicago to tie the game with a five-hole goal.
Overtime provided a good look for both clubs, with the Moose missing the chance to bang in a rebound and Chicago then hitting the post on a 2-on-1 rush. That left it to the shootout to decide things and Poulter came up big on the first shooter, closing the pads and keeping the puck out of his net. That’s when the Winnipeg Jets prospects took over, as Chibrikov slowly drifted back and forth in handling the stick before sliding the puck 5 holes. Then it came to pass Brayden Yagerwho chose the same technique as his Russian teammate, slowly drifting in before finding an opening at the top of the glove. The Wolves kept scoring after their first miss, so it was on Danny Zhilkinwho opted to use his speed as he raced towards Primeau, then made a sweet head fake that sent the tender to the ice, allowing the attacker to wait him out and slide the puck into the gaping cage for the win.
Here are the statistics theAHL.com:
*****
THREE STARS
It was certainly nice to see three Winnipeg Jets prospects score in the shootout to seal the win. As far as I’m concerned, the best match of the season for all three. Danny Zhilkin had a nice dangle to wait for the outstretched goalie to tuck the puck home for the win…well deserved after all the missed opportunities he had the last few games.
It was probably the best I’ve seen Brad Lambert playing since his relegation, as his line combined for seven shots on net and was a constant threat throughout the match. by Brayden Yager vision is excellent and the two prospects seemed adept at setting up Samuel Fagemo for shots on net (4). And that wasn’t the only Manitoba forward creating offensive scoring opportunities, as each line had plenty of triggermen releasing rubber on the goaltender:
Walker Duehr – 5
Nikita Chibrikov – 4
David Gustafson, Phillip DiGiuseppe& Colby Barlow – 3
A pretty close contest between Manitoba and Chicago… I bet the clubs will be happy to see each other finish. But… they’re not quite done yet, as the teams will play another match south of the border on Wednesday. So far, the two Central Division rivals have played a total of five matches (MB3-1-1) and they have 3 more to go before the AHL regular season comes to an end.
Since the Wolves a “loser pointIn their loss, the series split allowed them to close the gap in the race for third place in the Central, with the Moose holding a 2-point lead. Both franchises are beginning to pull away from the teams in the Central’s non-playoff spots (6th and 7th), boosting their postseason expectations early in the year.
That’s about all the time I have… I hope you enjoyed this look at the Manitoba Moose’s weekend action. Feel free to ask your questions in the comments section and I will do my best to get you an answer.
#Recap #Manitoba #Moose #Chicago #Wolves #Series