Moose notch ninth straight & set road record

Published on March 25, 2008 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Manitoba Moose News Release


CLEVELAND, OH. -- Although the Lake Erie Monsters scored the first and last goals of the game, the Manitoba Moose churned out seven unanswered goals - including five from rookies - to crush the Monsters 7-2 Tuesday night. The victory extended Manitoba's winning streak to nine games and set the new franchise record for longest road winning streak at seven games.

1:16 into the game, one of Manitoba's newest acquisitions, Kevin Estrada, took a high-sticking penalty and offered the hometown Monsters the game's first powerplay. As the man-advantage neared completion, Lake Erie forward Wyatt Smith positioned himself in front of Moose goalie Drew MacIntyre and tipped Johnny Boychuck's slapshot into the net.

Less than two minutes later, the powerplay tables turned in Manitoba's favour as two Lake Erie penalties overlapped for 40 seconds. Despite the two-man advantage, the Moose were unable to get the puck past Mike Wall and stayed down by one as the period's midway point approached.

A handful of shots in the final minute not only set this season's record for most shots in a period (20) but also tied the game at one. Although Wall stopped Brad Moran's original shot, the puck bounced around in his crease and back out to Jannik Hansen, who redirected it into a gaping net to stretch his point streak to five games and even things up heading into the second period.

The Moose tied the game in the last minute of the first period and assumed the lead in the first minute of the second. 59 seconds into the middle frame, Moose rookie and Manitoba native Mark Derlago scored his first AHL goal by plugging at the puck and slipping it past Wall to put the Moose up 2-1.

Three minutes later, three more rookies contributed to a 3-1 Manitoba lead. Setting up the visitors' 26th shot of the game, Michael Grabner and Greg Rallo got the puck to Pierre-Cedric Labrie, who lifted it above a sprawled Wall to give the Moose a two-goal cushion.

A scrap between Mike Brown and Mitch Love put both players in the penalty boxes for five minutes, but the fight did little to distract Manitoba's offensive first-year forwards. At 11:56, Moran won a face-off in the Lake Erie zone and sailed the puck over to Derlago, who had slipped behind Wall at the corner of the crease. Derlago batted the airborne puck into the net to score his second of the game and put the Moose up 4-1 after two.

An early hooking penalty to Lake Erie's Brent Kelly gave the Moose their fourth powerplay, and rookies continued to help the club pull away from the Monsters. 26 seconds into the man-advantage, Grabner pounced on Colby Genoway's original shot and netted a backhander to give Manitoba a commanding 5-1 lead.

The goal concluded Kelly's penalty, but Manitoba's rookies didn't let up at the return of five-on-five play. After receiving a pass from Genoway, Rallo wired a slapshot past Wall to put the Moose up 6-1 and prompt the Monsters to switch goaltenders. With the shot-clock reading 35-23, Tyler Weiman assumed control of the home crease.

The fresh goalie stopped the first three shots directed his way, but a fourth courtesy of veteran D-man Danny Groulx found the back of the net. By scoring with Weiman off his skates and out of position, Groulx gave the Moose a six-goal lead heading into the final eight minutes of the game.

Although another veteran, Lake Erie's Eric Healey, cut it back down to five as he beat MacIntyre less than two minutes later, it was too little, too late for the Monsters, and Manitoba carried their 7-2 lead to the final buzzer. The win extended the Moose winning streak to nine games and set the franchise record for longest road winning streak at seven games.

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American Hockey League Stories from March 25, 2008


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