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Moose mash Marlies to tie series

April 17, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Manitoba Moose News Release


The play is physical early on, as Moose defencemen Zack FitzGerald and Mark Fistric make huge open-ice hits early on. In his own zone, Moose defenceman Maxime Fortunus hand-passes the puck to a Marlies player after losing his stick. Trying to defend the play, he gets called for holding at 3:50.

The Marlies use the penalty to jump out to a 5-0 shot advantage. A mini-melee ensues after Moose captain Mike Keane takes a rough hit from a Marlies player. Fistric and Marlie enforcer Andre Deveaux receive roughing minors on the play at 5:55.

With 7:48 remaining, Moose defenceman Nolan Baumgartner slingshots a harmless-looking shot from the point, but Jason Jaffray gets a stick on it and tips it through the wickets of Marlies goalie Justin Pogge. Just 15 seconds later, Michael Grabner's shot fools Pogge, and the Moose have a sudden 2-0 lead and a new playoff record for two quickest goals.

In the second period, Marlies enforcer Jay Rosehill is called for interference at 3:00, and Darryl Boyce is called for hooking just 48 seconds later. With only three Toronto defenders, Fortunus is given ample space to blast a no-doubter past Pogge at 4:21.

The Marlies make their move at 10:22 as Jiri Tlusty pops a rebound past Cory Schneider to make the score 3-1 for Manitoba.

FitzGerald is nabbed for cross-checking at 14:14, but Toronto's Bates Battaglia is called for tripping at 15:06 to negate the powerplay. Nothing would come of the extra ice, and the two teams would hit the intermission at a 3-1 Moose tally.

In the third period, Marlies forward Josh Engel fires a puck into traffic in front of Schneider. It bounces off a skate to Darryl Boyce, who jams the puck into the net, and the Marlies cut the lead to one, trailing 3-2.

Guillaume Desbiens takes a hooking infraction at 10:20, but the Moose penalty killers clog up the centre of the ice and keep the Marlies at bay.

With Pogge on the bench, Jaffray and Desbiens break in on a 2-1. Desbiens feeds Jaffray, who flips the puck over a sprawled defender to secure a Manitoba 4-2 victory.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Manitoba Moose travel to Toronto for Game 3 of the North Division Semi-Finals against the Marlies on Sunday afternoon.

NEXT GAME

Sunday, April 19, 2009 - 3:00 p.m. @ Ricoh Coliseum

(3:00pm on CJOB Radio with Brian Munz)

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