Manitoba Can't Match 'Dogs in 5-4 Shootout Loss

Published on November 3, 2010 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Manitoba Moose News Release


They know they've been close. After dropping three winnable road games in a row, the Manitoba Moose (5-5-0-1) were well aware that a timely goal would reverse their fortunes. Manitoba scored four goals against the Hamilton Bulldogs (6-1-1-2) in regulation, but it wasn't enough to secure the win as the two teams went to a shootout for the third time this season. Shootout goals by Hamilton on three-of-four chances were enough to beat the Moose for the 5-4 shootout win in front of 2,842 fans at Copps Coliseum.

The first goal of the game wasn't pretty, but Tommy Maxwell's style of play generally isn't. Doing what a checking line does, Manitoba's Mario Bliznak and Tommy Maxwell bowled into the offensive zone and turned the puck over in Hamilton's corner. Bliznak left the puck for Maxwell who wristed the puck through Hamilton netminder Robert Mayer from a very unlikely angle. Maxwell's first goal of the season scored at 1:50 of the first period gave Manitoba an early lead. Through 10 games, the Moose have not lost a game they've scored first in.

That one goal lead lasted only a few minutes for Manitoba. Hamilton tied up the game at 5:25 when Aaron Palushaj received a pass from Max Pacioretty from behind the Moose net, then threw a pass toward linemate Alexander Avstvin crashing the net. The puck deflected off the skate of the Moose defenceman draped over Avstvin and by Moose goalie Tyler Weiman.

It's hard enough to follow the puck off one stick, let alone two. Weiman was victimized by a Max Pacioretty tip from of a Hamilton point shot by Frederic St. Denis. The Bulldogs second goal came at 8:13 on the power play, 18 seconds into a man advantage with Moose captain Nolan Baumgartner sitting in the box for tripping.

Manitoba got their first man advantage chance at 13:48 when Hamilton's J.T. Wyman sat for interference. Then, the man that gave the Bulldogs a lead nearly extended it after getting shut out on a shorthanded breakaway chance. Pacioretty blocked a Moose shot and was off to the races skating free with the puck. Pacioretty tried to pick the five-hole but Weiman squeezed the pads keeping the game at 2-1.

Late in the first period, Manitoba's Cody Hodgson proved there's more than one way to win a faceoff. Hodgson poked the puck through the legs of Hamilton's Alexander Engqvist before collecting it and feeding Moose winger Bill Sweatt with an easy tip-in pass at the 19:12 mark of the first.

The period ended in a 2-2 tie with Manitoba leading in shots, 10-9. Moose left winger Jeff Tambellini joined the team yesterday after being assigned by the Vancouver Canucks. Making his mark early, Tambellini recorded four of Manitoba's 10 shots in his first period in a Moose jersey.

Hamilton forwards Aaron Palushaj, David Desharnais, and Ryan Russell charged into the Moose zone on a three-on-two less than a minute into the second period. Following a passing play that travelled through the Bulldogs line, in that order, Russell put a pass from Desharnais into an open cage for the second Hamilton lead of the game.

Bill Sweatt scored earlier in the game thanks to the work of Cody Hodgson. This time it was all his own effort that led to Sweatt's second goal of the game. He took the puck from his own blue line and used his signature speed down the left wing wall, blowing by a Hamilton defender, but was denied attempting to thread a pass on a two-on-one rush. Sweatt then picked up the puck where it was blocked in front of him and found the top corner of the net behind Hamilton's Robert Mayer to tie the game 3-3 at 13:11 of the second period.

Jeff Tambellini had been pulling the trigger whenever possible in this game, but this time passed off to Nolan Baumgartner who walked the inside of the blue line of the Hamilton zone before letting go a slap shot with Chris Tanev and Bill Sweatt parked firmly in front of Mayer. Mayer may not have seen the Baumgartner shot, but he likely heard it as it touched off the post and in for the fourth Moose goal of the game at 16:18 of the second period.

Baumgartner's goal was scored on the power play with Hamilton defenceman Mathieu Carle in the penalty box for tripping. The power play marker was the first for the Moose in 21 of their last odd-man opportunities. After 40 minutes, the Moose led the Bulldogs 4-3 in goals and 25-21 in shots. Midway through the third period, Manitoba's Marco Rosa and Hamilton's Ben Maxwell took respective slashing penalties just five seconds apart giving way to nearly two minutes of four-on-four hockey. For a second straight game, four-on-four equalled doom for the Moose as this time Hamilton defenceman Mathieu Carle wheeled across the top of the slot in Manitoba's end before snapping a puck through Tyler Weiman to tie the game up, 4-4 at 9:26 of the final period.

The Bulldogs were definitely hungry to win their second game in two nights against the Moose as they outshot the Moose 12-2 in the third period. Manitoba didn't help themselves late in the game as Kevin Clark took a high sticking penalty with two minutes left. The Moose held off the Bulldogs and Weiman got a little help from his friends behind him, with a shot deflecting off the post with seconds left in the third period.

For the third time in four games the Moose and Bulldogs needed more than 60 minutes to find a winner. After trading shots in the third period, two each for the Moose and Bulldogs, overtime solved nothing. Even after a four-on-three power play opportunity for the Moose over the last 1:22 of the extra period. For the third time this season the two teams headed to a shootout.

With decision going to home ice, the Bulldogs decided to shoot first. Aaron Palushaj continued to show his hot hand burying Hamilton's first shootout chance past Tyler Weiman. The Bulldogs didn't let up from there as three-of-four Hamilton shooters scored while only Marco Rosa found the net for the Moose. After already losing a pair of shootout decisions against the Moose this season, the Bulldogs were the sharper shooters on Wednesday night as they recorded the shootout win over the Moose, 5-4.

The Manitoba Moose are in the back stretch of a seven-game road trip that leads them to Grand Rapids and Rockford this weekend before returning home. The Moose take on the Griffins next on Friday night at Van Andel Arena. Game time is 6:00 p.m. CST.

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American Hockey League Stories from November 3, 2010


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