Moose Edge Monsters In 3-2 Overtime Win

Published on April 17, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Manitoba Moose News Release


The hometown Lake Erie Monsters (1-1) came out on top in their first ever Calder Cup Playoff game as they outgunned the visiting Manitoba Moose (1-1) in a high scoring Game 1 on Saturday. The result in Game 2 was a stingier 3-2 final that needed more than 60 minutes to decide. Manitoba's checking line opened and ended the scoring on Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena as Aaron Volpatti scored the game's first goal and Rick Rypien scored the final one in sudden death overtime. Tyler Weiman made 34 saves for the Moose in a winning effort.

Manitoba and Lake Erie traded 10 goals in Game 1, which for the Moose tied a franchise record for goals in a Calder Cup Playoff game. As a result of the offensive outburst, both teams swapped starting goalies to begin Game 2. Tyler Weiman took over the pipes in Manitoba's net while John Grahame stood in Lake Erie's.

The Moose had the first man advantage of the game when Lake Erie's defenceman Matt Generous was singled out for roughing after the whistle as he dealt with Manitoba's checking line. Manitoba failed to capitalize extending their power play drought in the series to 0-for-5.

Manitoba's checking line continued to wreak havoc in the first period, first with a big hit by winger Aaron Volpatti who pasted Lake Erie defenceman Jonas Holos against the glass as the Monsters were breaking out of their end. Then on their following shift, Moose centre Garth Murray centered to Volpatti who deflected the pass between John Grahame's pass for the game's first goal at 10:38 of the first.

Lake Erie's first man advantage came late in the frame when Moose captain Nolan Baumgartner was booked for slashing Monsters' centre Mike Carman at 19:26. The hack was to prevent Carman from scoring on a partial breakaway which Tyler Weiman was able to turn away.

The Monsters made Baumgartner and the Moose pay just eight seconds into the power play as Lake Erie's David Van der Gulik buried a rebound past Weiman to tie it up 1-1. At the end of 20 minutes, the Moose and Monsters sat tied with Lake Erie leading in shots, 11-9.

Manitoba's aggressive play nearly backfired on a pair of penalties early in the second period. First, Moose forward Guillaume Desbiens flew into the Lake Erie zone on the forecheck and missed most of his check in the corner but still caught the defender with his knee drawing a penalty at 1:03. Then Trying to avenge a hit on a Moose defenceman earlier in the play, Manitoba's goal scorer Aaron Volpatti ran Patrick Bordeleau into the boards in the neutral zone that the referee deemed worthy of a boarding call at 4:38. The visitors escaped both shorthanded situations without allowing a second power play goal.

The only thing that stood between the Moose and a lead late in the period was the goal post as two-thirds of Manitoba's checking line skated in on a two-on-one. Rick Rypien and Garth Murray skated in after a turnover at the Lake Erie blue line, but Rypien held and shot beating John Grahame on the blocker side but finding iron.

As the second period ended, a scrum in front of Lake Erie's net turned into a melee with players on both teams tying up. Monsters 'tender John Grahame was in the thick of it with Nolan Baumgartner in an exchange that resulted in minor penalties to both players. Manitoba drew the extra minor as Jason Jaffray was called for roughing.

Both teams remained tied 1-1 for over 30 minutes of play until Lake Erie defenceman Julien Brouillette let go a point shot aimed just under the cross bar at 11:28 of the third period. Brouillette let it go immediately after picking up a pass from David Van der Gulik deep in the Moose zone, giving Lake Erie a late 2-1 lead with nearly half a period remaining.

Manitoba needing a goal in the dying minutes, leading scorer Sergei Shirokov found the puck alone in the slot and beat John Grahame with a shot that nailed the connection at the top corner of the net. The puck bounced down behind Grahame but stayed out.

The Moose then turned to their leading scorer as of late to find an answer. And he delivered, as Marco Rosa wristed a shot through a screen in Lake Erie's zone with only 49 seconds left in the third period. Rosa, who recorded four points in game two, scored his third goal of the series to tie up the score 2-2. The rest of the third period ran out following Rosa's clutch marker resulting in sudden death overtime.

The Moose thought they had the game winner three minutes into the extra frame when the checking line barged the Lake Erie net and slid the puck across the line but only after the net was dislodged. Then when play resumed, Manitoba's Aaron Volpatti had the puck alone in front of John Grahame and rang a shot off the post on the blocker side.

That same line of Volpatti-Murray-Rypien would be the difference maker later in overtime when Volpatti threw the puck toward the net from the corner, deflecting it in off of Rick Rypien's skate and past the Lake Erie goaltender for the game winning goal at 8:03 into sudden death overtime.

The Moose and Monsters will continue their North Division Semi-Final series with Games 3, 4 & 5 on Tuesday, Thursday & Friday night at MTS Centre. Game time for all three is 7:30 p.m. CT with Brian Munz and Jim Toth calling the action live on CJOB 68. Hear it online at www.cjob.com.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 17, 2011


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