Moose Can't Match Amerks In 5-3 Loss

Published on February 25, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Manitoba Moose News Release


Any hockey fan appreciates a great goaltending performance. But three more scoreless periods might drive the fans at Blue Cross Arena a little crazy. Last time the Manitoba Moose (31-21-1-5) and Rochester Americans (27-27-3-3) met on Wednesday, the final score was 1-0 in a shootout. The possibility of another scoreless affair was squashed early by Rochester's Mark Cullen, who added a second late goal helping erase the chance of another Moose win too. Tyler Plante made 25 saves as Rochester took the rematch 5-3 in front of 5,880 fans on Friday night.

Last time the Moose and Amerks met on Wednesday, a pair of masked men kept either team from scoring even one goal in regulation. Eddie Lack and Tyler Plante were back in the net for Manitoba and Rochester, respectively.

Manitoba was on the receiving end of the first penalty call of the game. Kevin Connauton was singled out for holding at 4:26 of the first period but the Amerks couldn't muster more than a couple shots, neither of which Lack allowed past him.

The most shots taken in the first period came in a bout between Manitoba's Tommy Maxwell and Rochester's Eric Selleck. The two known fighters squared off after a puck drop at 7:20 and held on tight in a scrap with plenty of swinging and spinning, but only a few landed blows.

The Moose failed to convert on a pair of power play opportunities and the Amerks made them pay late in the period. Moose d-man Mark Flood chopped down a Rochester played charging to the Moose net. Then on the man advantage, a point shot the Amerks found its way through a screen then Rochester's Mark Cullen poked the rebound through Lack. Cullen's goal marked the first regulation marker in nearly four periods between the two teams and also gave the hometown Amerks an early 1-0 lead.

While Mark Flood watched the first goal of the game from the penalty box, he had a hand in the second and tying goal as he fed the puck to Moose forward Guillaume Desbiens who ripped the puck past Tyler Plante at 0:45 of the middle frame.

The first minute of the second had more action than all of last game. Right after the puck drop following Manitoba's first goal, Moose forward Aaron Volpatti and the Americans Michael Duco shed their gloves and starting throwing punches. They tied up, then Volpatti spun Duco to the ice landing a square blow on the Rochester forward in the process.

The Moose capitalized on a blown tire when Rochester defenceman Keaton Ellerby wiped at his own blue line, providing a three-on-one to Moose forwards Jordan Schroeder, Mario Bliznak, and Bill Sweatt. Schroeder picked up the loose puck and held on before dishing to Sweatt for a back door tap in goal at 5:53.

That lead wasn't meant to last as the Americans knotted it back up 2-2 at 13:17. Rochester's P.J. Fenton circled Manitoba's net and sent a back hand pass to Colby Robak pinching from the point. Before Lack could react to the charging d-man, Robak snapped a shot past the Moose goalie for the second Amerks goal of the game.15:35 giving Rochester their second one goal lead of the game.

The Moose began the game with the top ranked penalty kill in the AHL but that rank was sure to change after Rochester scored their third power play goal of the game at 1:31 of the third period. Rochester's Chris Taylor made a seamless pass to Mike Kostka waiting back door for a one-timer. Kostka converted giving the Americans a 4-2 lead.

Still early in the third period, Moose defenceman Mark Flood factored onto the gamesheet for a third time in the game. Flood fired a shot on the Rochester net that was deflected high into the air, then before any Amerks d-men could track it, Flood gloved it down and scooped a backhander past Tyler Plante for Manitoba's third goal at ?. Flood's second point and first goal of the game brought the Moose to within one goal, still trailing 4-3.

Rochester's Mark Cullen scored the first goal of the game and added to his goal total midway through the third period when he snapped a rebound underneath the crossbar behind Lack at 7:57. Lack was given little chance after stopping the original shot by Hugh Jessiman. Cullen's second goal gave Rochester a late 5-3 lead.

When you can't score, sometimes you try to fight. With less than a minute to play, Guillaume Desbiens reacted to an incidental high stick from Rochester's Kenndal McArdle and chucked fists with the Amerks winger. Desbiens won the decision in the fight, but as the clock ran out the Americans won the more important decision by a score of 5-3.

The Moose play a pair of games in Toronto before returning to Winnipeg for a rest on Monday. Their next action is on Saturday at 2 p.m. CST. Brian Munz brings you the action from Ricoh Coliseum live on CJOB 68. Hear it online at www.cjob.com.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 25, 2011


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