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Marlies complete comeback over Moose

February 16, 2008 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Manitoba Moose News Release


WINNIPEG, MB. - Three quick goals, including two by Jannik Hansen, in the first 10 minutes gave the Manitoba Moose an early 3-0 lead, but the Toronto Marlies answered with five goals in the final two frames to secure a 5-3 come-from-behind victory Saturday night. Toronto's Scott Clemmensen made 15 saves for the win, while Manitoba's Drew MacIntyre stopped 19 for his 14th loss of the season.

It was Old Time Hockey Night at the MTS Centre, and the Manitoba Moose wore special bronze heritage jerseys for the packed crowd of 15,003. The Moose put pressure on their division's top club early in the game, and Clemmensen cracked on the home team's third shot. From behind the net, Brad Moran slipped the puck out to Captain Mike Keane, who snapped it past the Marlies' netminder to put the Moose up 1-0 at 4:22.

By the midway point of the first period, fellow forward Hansen extended Manitoba's lead to two -- and then three -- by beating Clemmensen twice in the span of 2:20 to give the Moose three goals on seven shots.

Just over 12 minutes into the game, Toronto's Alex Foster received the game's first penalty and Manitoba went on the powerplay. The AHL's best penalty-killers proved their worth, however, and Toronto kept the Moose from tallying a fourth unanswered goal.

The penalties continued in the second, as Greg Classen and Robbie Earl took back-to-back penalties. 20 seconds into four-on-four play, Marlies winger Bates Battaglia beat MacIntyre to put Toronto on the scoreboard at 2:03.

The goal sparked the Marlies' offense. Shortly after the visitors tied the shot-count at 12, they set themselves up in the Moose zone and fed the puck to Jay Harrison at the point. MacIntyre stopped Harrison's slapper, but Foster redirected the rebound into the net to put the Marlies within one at 7:52.

As the game passed its midway point, the Moose benefited from their fourth powerplay thanks to a high-sticking penalty to Brent Aubin. But the club was unable to get a shot on or into the Toronto net and stayed stuck at 12 shots and three goals through to the final minutes of the middle frame.

Consecutive Moose penalties with three-minutes left gave the Marlies a 55-second five-on three, but MacIntyre and the penalty killers were unbeatable through the extended powerplay and stayed up by one through 40 minutes of play.

Just over five minutes into the third period, the Marlies got their equalizer. After rushing up the right wing, Jeremy Williams fired a sharp-angle shot that found its way past MacIntyre and into the top corner of the net to tie the game at three.

As the minutes ticked down, the Marlies continued their comeback and made it four unanswered goals at 13:41. Aubin carried the puck into the Moose zone and dropped it back for John Mitchell, who snapped it into the Moose net from the top of the right face-off circle to give Toronto a 4-3 lead, their first of the game.

Manitoba opted for six skaters for the final 90 seconds, and with 55 seconds left on the clock, a long-shot by Chris Harrington bumbled into an empty net. The fifth goal would secure a 5-3 come-from-behind victory for Toronto.

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