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Moose Finish Off Rivermen In 4-3 Shootout Win

March 4, 2011 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Manitoba Moose News Release


The Manitoba Moose (33-22-1-5) spent the past month getting well acquainted with the North Division, playing their previous eight games against divisional rivals. The Moose began a West Division tour on Friday night by visiting the Peoria Rivermen (34-23-1-5). Manitoba started the road swing in front of 5,469 at Carver Arena with a shootout win, beating Peoria for the fourth time this season. Bill Sweatt scored the shootout winner in the seventh round of a 4-3 shootout win while Eddie Lack made 39 saves in regulation and five in the shootout to capture his 22nd win.

Manitoba opened the scoring just shy of the five-minute mark when Guillaume Desbiens sent a low shot on goal from a bad angle along the left wing boards. The puck deflected off the skate of a screening defender, making life difficult for Jake Allen in the Peoria net. Allen didn't pick up on the deflection and the Moose opened the scoring at 4:56.

The Moose were forced to kill off seven penalties against last Sunday. They were thankful to go on the power play early in Friday's game, but the Peoria Rivermen managed to even the score while on the penalty kill. A turnover in Manitoba's end produced an open point shot by Jake Gannon that Peoria's Dave Spina deflected down and in while standing in front of the Moose goal at 10:45.

The first goal of the game won't show up on any highlight reels and neither will Manitoba's second go ahead goal. Mario Bliznak fired a shot from along the goal line nearly in the right corner that somehow bounced off of Jake Allen and into Peoria's goal at 17:00 of the first period. Bliznak's ninth goal of the season, assisted by Aaron Volpatti and Stefan Schneider, put the Moose ahead 2-1. The first period expired with the Moose holding their one goal lead and outshooting the Rivermen 15-7.

The Rivermen had a chance to even the score early in the second period when Moose defenceman Travis Ramsey was hauled away for hooking at 1:10. Peoria set up well in Manitoba's end, but Eddie Lack and the Moose PK unit kept the Rivermen power play off the board.

Shortly after, brand new Moose d-man Keith Seabrook ripped a drop pass by Cody Hodgson off of Jake Allen's glove and into Peoria's net at 3:43. Seabrook, recently acquired on loan from the Calgary Flames, put up his new team 3-1 with his first as the Moose and fifth goal of the season.

Peoria's power play went back to work at and didn't misfire this time. Rivermen centre T.J. Hensick hit Matt Cundari with a cross ice feed that Cundari wristed into the top shelf of Manitoba's net at 5:55. Cundari's ninth goal of the season cut the Moose lead to 3-2.

The home team trailed convincingly in the shot department following the first period but charged back with a number of scoring chances, many on the power play, to knot up the shot count at 19-19 late in the second period. The Moose still led the Rivermen by one goal at the end of the second thanks in large part to the goaltending of Eddie Lack.

The Moose spent much of the third period in preservation mode trying to hold onto a one goal lead. They were especially on their toes when Ramsey took his second penalty of the game at 4:05 of the third period. The AHL's second best PK unit successfully killed off the penalty improving to 75.0% on the night.

The Rivermen created their own man advantage by pulling their goalie with time running out in the game. It paid off with Dave Scatchard scoring his third goal of the season to tie the game 3-3 with only 0:56 left on the clock.

That time ran out heading to extra time and assuring both teams at least a point in the standings. Moose goalie Eddie Lack was bowled over at 2:12 of OT by Scatchard, the third period goal scorer, resulting in a four-on-three power play for the Moose. The Rivermen killed off that threat and forced a shootout round.

The Moose improved to 6-5 in the shootout this season as Bill Sweatt scored the winning goal in the seventh round. Eddie Lack stopped five of seven attempts in the 4-3 shootout win. Jordan Schroeder, Sergei Shirokov, and Sweatt scored for Manitoba in the shootout win.

The Moose continue their West Division road trip Saturday night in Milwaukee to take on the Admirals at 7:30 p.m. CST. Brian Munz brings you the action live on CJOB 68. Hear it online at www.cjob.com.



American Hockey League Stories from March 4, 2011


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