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Moose Dazed by Stars in 5-1 Loss

March 20, 2011 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Manitoba Moose News Release


Whether they showed to meet Batman or to take in the rematch between the Manitoba Moose (38-27-1-5) and Texas Stars (36-24-4-6), 11,889 fans packed MTS Centre on Family Day. While the Dark Knight was a star in the concourse, the Stars stole the show on the ice with a 5-1 win on Sunday afternoon. Former member of the Moose, Greg Rallo, scored three of the Stars' goals as Texas evened the season series in their final game against Manitoba.

Moose goalie Eddie Lack found his way back to Manitoba's crease in the final season series game with the Texas Stars on Sunday. Last time Lack faced the Stars on Dec. 14, he allowed one goal on 40 shots in a 3-1 win.

Lack was tested early stopping the Stars on a two-on-one. But the Stars would score shortly after that as Texas forward Greg Rallo attempted to send a saucer pass out front of the Moose goal. Eddie Lack batted down the attempt with his paddle but unfortunately for Manitoba's goalie, the puck deflected down and slightly across the goal line for the first goal of the game at 6:50. The goal, Rallo's 22nd of the season, gave the visiting team an early 1-0 lead.

Two minutes later, Moose centre Alexandre Bolduc intercepted a D-to-D pass along Manitoba's goal line and flew in on a breakaway. Stars goalie Richard Bachman played Bolduc squarely and stopped his backhand attempt.

The Stars extended their early lead at 12:25 when a rush by Texas led to Stars winger Sean Backman slamming in a rebound at the edge of Lack's crease for their second goal of the game. The Stars carried their 2-0 lead into the first intermission also holding a healthy lead in shots, 12-7.

Manitoba was awarded the first power play of the game at 2:46 of the second period when Stars defenceman Matt Stephenson was called for hooking. The Moose scored on their first power play on Friday but coudln't repeat that feat as the Stars killed off the man advantage with just a couple shots against.

Defenceman Ryan Parent returned to Manitoba's lineup after sitting out a one game suspension. Parent took a trip to the box at 10:59 for cross checking. Only 12 seconds into the man advantage, the Stars Greg Rallo finished off a scrum in Eddie Lack's crease for his second goal of the game and fourth of the season against his former team.

Eddie Lack's day ended soon after when Stars centre Mathieu Tousignant weaved in Manitoba's end and fired a screened wrister past Lack for the visiting team's fourth goal of the game. After allowing four goals on 22 shots, Lack was pulled at 11:54 in favour of fellow Moose 'tender Tyler Weiman.

Offensive chances came far between for the Moose and it didn't help that Richard Bachman was making saves like the one he made on Cody Hodgson early in the third period. The rebound from a shot by Bill Sweatt bounced to Hodgson in the left circle, then while out of position, Bachman stretched his glove to the top corner robbing the Moose rookie of his 17th goal.

Still on the same shift, Sweatt and Hodgson assisted on a one-time slap shot by Joel Perrault that solved Bachman for Manitoba's first goal of the game at 4:38 of the third period. Perrault's fifth of the season reduced the Stars commanding lead to 4-1.

Reaching at one last chance to get back into the game, the Moose pulled their goalie after going on the man advantage with 4:12 left in the third. That tactic didn't pay off as Greg Rallo completed his hattrick into Manitoba's empty net. Rallo's third of the game sealed the 5-1 victory for the Stars as they once again drew even with the Moose in the Western Conference standings. The Moose host North Division rival Abbotsford Heat on Friday, Mar. 25 & Sunday, Mar. 27. Game time on Friday is 7:30 p.m. CST with Brian Munz and Jim Toth calling the action on CJOB 68.

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