Moose Beat the Heat 5-3 on Baumgartner Bobblehead Day

Published on January 23, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Manitoba Moose News Release


WINNIPEG, MB - Sunday was no usual day for the Manitoba Moose (25-12-1-5) and Abbotsford Heat (21-19-2-4) as the North Division rivals squared off at noon at MTS Centre in front of a national audience. While people enjoyed the game from their homes, many of the 8,509 fans present at MTS Centre on Sunday received a Nolan Baumgartner bobblehead. All together, very few could be disappointed as Manitoba and Abbotsford battled playoff-style to a 5-3 Moose win with Guillaume Desbiens scoring the game winner.

Moose forward Garth Murray wasn't saving his first goal in a Moose uniform for a national audience, but it just worked out that way. Murray, who was without a goal since joining the team in mid-December, took a pass from Bill Sweatt in the neutral zone and found a burst of speed around Heat defenceman T.J. Brodie. Crashing the net, the puck bounced off goalie Leland Irving and slid inside the post for the 1-0 go ahead goal at 4:46 of the first period.

The Garth Murray show continued midway through the period when he caught Abbotsford forward Matt Keith with his head down and delivered a crushing open ice hit. Trying to defend his teammate, the Heat's Stefan Meyer dropped the gloves with Murray immediately after but the Moose forward scored the takedown and the win.

The fisticuffs didn't end with the Murray-Meyer bout. With less than a minute to go in the first period, Heat defenceman Matt Pelech found a willing combatant with Guillaume Desbiens and the two scrapped with both landing punches.

The Moose controlled much of the first period leading 13-5 in shots, in part due to three power plays. Manitoba didn't capitalize on the man advantage but held the early 1-0 lead.

Cody Hodgson made his return to Manitoba's lineup on Sunday afternoon after missing 18 games with an injury. His first mention on the scoresheet unfortunately came when he took a hooking penalty at 1:55 of the second period. The Abbotsford Heat made the Moose pay shortly after as Josh Meyers one-timed a bullet to the top shelf at 2:23. Abbotsford's game tying goal snapped a streak of 19 straight penalties killed by Manitoba's AHL best PK.

That unit was put back to work with consecutive penalties to Josh Aspenlind and Nolan Baumgartner. The Moose nearly killed both but an overload of Heat players near Tyler Weiman's crease led to a rebound goal by Jon Rheault at 5:23. Suddenly the Heat were leading 2-1 early in the second period.

The game turned into a true battle of special teams as Manitoba tied the game 2-2 late in the second period while back on their own power play. The Heat's Ryan Stone took a double minor for a high stick on Jordan Schroeder, then at the end of a flurry in Abbotsford's zone a blast from the point by Mark Flood found the twine. The lone assist on the power play goal at 15:30 went to centre Mario Bliznak.

Mario Bliznak then recorded his second point 1:16 later when he spotted Shawn Weller wide open in the slot with time to lift the puck over Leland Irving for the 3-2 go ahead goal at 16:46. The goal was Weller's third over the past four games.

It had been awhile since Guillaume Desbiens buried one for the Moose but sometimes you need luck to snap a cold streak. Desbiens tried to send a pass cross-crease to Bliznak but it deflected off two Abbotsford defenceman before squeaking past Leland Irving. Abbotsford's unfortunate bounce gave Manitoba a late two goal lead late in the third period. Nolan Baumgartner assisted on the goal at 12:25. And on Nolan Baumgartner Bobblehead Day, no less.

The Heat closed the gap to 4-3 two minutes later when Cam Cunning cleaned up a loose puck in front of Manitoba's net at 14:51. The assists on Cunning's 10th of the season went to forwards Matt Keith and Stefan Meyer.

With Leland Irving on the Abbotsford bench, Desbiens found the empty net and capped off Manitoba's 5-3 win with 0:37 left to play. Moose goalie Tyler Weiman stopped 29 shots in his sixth victory of his last six starts.

With their lengthy homestand wrapped up, the Moose set out on the road for the next seven games. The Moose visit Hamilton first to play an early morning game against the Bulldogs. Brian Munz brings you the action from Copps Coliseum at 9:30 a.m. CST. Listen to it on CJOB 68 or get it online at www.cjob.com.

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American Hockey League Stories from January 23, 2011


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