Moose devour Chops in shootout, 4-3

Published on November 28, 2008 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Manitoba Moose News Release


Playing their first-ever game against the Chops, the Manitoba Moose battled to beat Iowa 4-3 in a shootout on Friday night in front of 7091 spectators. This home victory extends Manitoba's winning-streak to nine games at the MTS Centre. Earning second star honours, Maxime Fortunus scored his first two goals of the season while Mark Derlago and Olivier Labelle both earned points in their 2008-09 AHL debut with the Moose. Karl Goehring, the third star, saved 28 shots for his fifth win this season.

With 30-year-old Karl Goehring and 21-year-old Jean-Phillipe Levasseur backstopping the Moose and Chops respectively, the first game of a four-game season series between Manitoba and Iowa got underway.

In his first shift of the AHL season, call-up Mark Derlago made an instant impact at 2:07. Situated near the edge of the crease, defenseman Jimmy Sharrow sent the puck to Derlago who netted his first of the season and the first of the night, to put the Moose in an early one goal lead.

At 3:47 the Chops offered the Moose their first man-advantage of the night with a hooking fine against Ryan Dingle. Even with the extra man, the Moose only registered two shots against Levasseur and despite being in the lead continued to trail in shots, 6-2.

Mark Cullen's tripping penalty put the Chops on a five-on-four near the mid-point of the period, but Manitoba's penalty killers looked sharp and denied any opposing opportunities.

At 13:18 Jason Krog, Maxime Fortunus and Mark Cullen charged into the visiting zone and extended the Moose's lead even further. After moving the puck back-and-fourth, Fortunus chipped the puck over Levasseur to earn his first of the season and second Moose goal of the night.

The Moose zone saw extra traffic in the early minutes of the second stanza with Iowa thirsty to net their first-ever goal against the Moose. With Zack FitzGerald serving time for slashing, Joakim Lindstrom hit the back of Goehring's net to tighten the gap at 2-1.

Moments later, Troy Bodie earned the equalizer when his slapshot from the point caught a bounce and tricked Goehring to knot the game.

Poised at the point opposite the Moose bench, Fortunus wired the puck through traffic and over Levasseur's left shoulder to put the Moose up 3-2 while earning his second of the night.

Both sides of the ice saw equal time as the third period progressed. Exchanging penalties, both squads failed to score on either man-advantage.

With four-minutes left in the match-up the Chops tied things up with a rebound snap courtesy of Joakim Lindstrom. Neither team could break the 3-3 tie and the Moose saw overtime for the first time of the season.

Overtime

The Moose and Chops were unable to score a goal in the five minute overtime and prepared for a five-round shootout.

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American Hockey League Stories from November 28, 2008


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