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Moose edge IceHogs 3-2 in overtime

February 8, 2008 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Manitoba Moose News Release


ROCKFORD, IL. -- Though the Manitoba Moose managed an early 2-0 lead, the Rockford IceHogs battled back to force overtime Thursday night. Just under four minutes into four-on-four, Brad Moran surged into the IceHogs zone on a partial breakaway and beat former teammate Wade Flaherty to secure a 3-2 overtime win for the visiting Moose.

Last season's top Moose goaltenders manned nets at opposite ends of the ice for the opening puck drop, with Drew MacIntyre backstopping visiting Manitoba and veteran Flaherty holding down Rockford's home crease.

Playing in his first game since January 26, Flaherty was taken by surprise on Manitoba's first shot, as Mike Brown excelled up the right wing and fired the puck into the net for the game's opening goal at 3:45.

Two minutes later, Troy Brouwer took the game's first penalty, but the Moose were unable to beat Flaherty a second time and were shutout on their first man-advantage.

The visitors wouldn't let a second five-on-four slip away, however. With Rockford's Kris Versteeg in the box for unsportsmanlike conduct, the Moose exploded out of an offensive zone face-off and descended on Flaherty. Only 16 seconds into the powerplay, Alexandre Bolduc's persistent plugging in the crease resulted in a two-goal lead for Manitoba near the 10-minute mark.

On the heels of the goal, Bolduc soon added a fight to his resume, squaring off with IceHogs' center Colin Fraser near Rockford's blue line. After fighting penalties were awarded, Moose defenceman Jimmy Sharrow joined his teammate in the penalty box, and the IceHogs benefited from their first powerplay with just over six minutes left in the period.

Despite the man-advantage and a handful of good scoring changes, Rockford couldn't beat MacIntyre and Manitoba headed to the first intermission up 2-0.

Just over three minutes into the second period, Moose captain Mike Keane earned a holding penalty while fighting for the puck behind Flaherty's net, offering the IceHogs their second powerplay of the game. Poised at the top of the slot, Brouwer fired a rocket through the crowded crease and past MacIntyre to put the IceHogs on the scoreboard and down by one.

After notching his team's first goal, Brower spent nearly four straight minutes in the penalty box and offered the Moose their third and fourth powerplays of the game. A holding penalty to Bolduc would also fail to increase the goal tally, and the Moose and IceHogs closed out 40 minutes of play with a 2-1 score.

Early in the third, Manitoba rookie Daniel Rahimi took a hooking penalty and put the IceHogs back on the powerplay. Though Moose penalty killers managed to clear the puck twice, a third rush would result in the equalizer. Firing from MacIntyre's glove side, Fraser fooled the Moose netminder and tied the game at two with 17:25 left on the clock.

Rockford maintained their shot-lead through the first half of the third and a fifth powerplay at the 11-minute mark. As the IceHogs toyed with the 30-shot mark, MacIntyre smothered the surging team and carried the tied game through the end of regulation.

The Moose and IceHogs battled back-and-forth through nearly four-minutes of four-on-four sudden death. With Rockford pressing the Manitoba zone, Moose forward Brad Moran snagged the puck, burst across the blue-line, and battled one-on-one with an IceHogs defender while cutting towards Flaherty's net. After coming across to the goaltender's right side, Moran snapped the puck into the net for a storybook game-winning goal.

LOOKING AHEAD: Manitoba plays Game 3 of their four-game West Division road trip Friday night in Milwaukee. The next Moose home games are scheduled for Feb. 12 & 13 vs. Iowa.

NEXT GAME: FRIDAY, FEB. 8 (BRADLEY CENTER - MILWAUKEE, WI.)

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