Moose Return to First Place in Canadian Division

Published on November 4, 2002 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Manitoba Moose News Release


Last week, the Moose completed their four game road trip in five nights. Manitoba went 2-2 on the road trip with victories at Hartford (4-3 OTW) on Wednesday and at Lowell (5-3 W) on Sunday. The team stands in first spot in the Canadian Division with 13 points. This week, the Moose return to the friendly confines of Winnipeg Arena and play a doubleheader against the Lowell Lock Monsters on Friday and Saturday. Game time both nights is 7:30 p.m. CT.

Last week: Wednesday, Oct. 30 - Manitoba 4 vs. Hartford 3 (OT): The scoring started quickly with Moose defenceman Justin Kurtz opening the game with a goal at the 16 second mark. This is the team's fastest goal to start a game so far during the 2002-03 season. Brandon Reid added to the lead with his fifth of the year. Hartford responded with a goal by Dixon Ward. After one, Manitoba held a 2-1 advantage. In the second, the team traded goals. The Moose were up by one but under a minute into the third, the WolfPack tied the game again. The Moose won their second road game when Fedor Fedorov fired his first Moose goal of the season at the 1:45 mark. Moose goalie Alex Auld stopped 18 shots for third star. Fedorov earned a first star selection for his game-winner. Manitoba outshot Hartford 40-21.

Friday, Nov. 1 - Manitoba 2 vs. Portland 5: In the first, the visitors were scored on early and often with the Pirates firing three goals by the eight minute mark. Colin Forbes scored his fifth, Brad Parson had his first and Roman Tvrdon notched his fourth markers of the season. After one, Portland 3-0. In the second, Manitoba rallied with a power play tally by Steve Kariya. Less than a minute later, the visitors struck again when Herbert Vasiljevs scored his second. Tyler Bouck and Fedor Fedorov assisted on the play. After two, Pirates led 3-2. In the third, the hosts quashed any attempt of a full comeback with two goals. For the seventh game in 12 contests, Manitoba fired 40+ shots (44). Tyler Moss had 23 saves in the losing cause. The Moose were 1-7 on the power play and stopped Portland's one PP chance.

Saturday, Nov. 2 - Manitoba 6 vs. Worcester 7: Manitoba started strongly with a quick goal (2:02) by Fedor Fedorov. Worcester tied it up a minute later before the Moose regained their one-goal advantage. Justin Kurtz blasted his third of the campaign. The IceCats finished the first period scoring with two power play markers from Sergei Varlamov. Worcester led 3-2. In the second, the hosts went up by two before Manitoba responded with Tyler Bouck's first tally of the season. Worcester fired another goal shortly after Bouck's marker and walked into the dressing room with a two goal lead. In the final frame, recently reassigned defenceman Nolan Baumgartner fired his second Moose goal. Worcester pushed their margin back to two. The Moose refused to die when they rallied for two unanswered goals. Ryan Ready scored a pair within four minutes. The IceCats stopped the comeback with the game-winner scored by Jeff Panzer at 18:45.

Sunday, Nov. 3 - Manitoba 5 vs. Lowell 3: In the first, Lowell jumped out to an early first period lead. Manitoba responded with a quick goal from Ryan Ready to even the score at one. The Lock Monsters again pulled ahead with a goal from Mike Zigomanis. The Moose received a late period marker from Tyler Bouck. After one, 2-2. In the middle frame, Ready notched his second of the night on the power play. Lowell answered with another power play tally by Jeff Heerema. Second star Bouck fired the eventual game-winner. Going into the third, the visitors were ahead 4-3. The Moose played solid defense in the final period and secured the road victory with an empty netter from Ready. First star Ready had a hat trick and this was the first ever team hat trick in the AHL and first since Dec. 27/00. Moose goalie Tyler Moss stopped 29 shots for his second victory.

Up Next: Lowell (4-5-1-0) vs. Manitoba (6-7-1-0) - Fri., Nov. 8 & Sat., Nov. 9 - 7:30 p.m.

T.V.: none Radio: CJOB - 7:05 p.m.

Lock Monsters Watch: Lowell went 1-1 last week as they beat St. John's 5-3 on Saturday and fell to Manitoba 5-3 on Sunday. They sit in fifth place in the North Division with nine points. Lowell and Manitoba have played twice this season with Manitoba winning both contests at Lowell by scores of 3-2 and 5-3. The Lock Monsters are led by Mike Zigomanis (4g, 9a) with 13 points. He has the team high in assists with nine. Jeff Heerema has the team lead in goals with six. Ryan Bayda (3g, 7a) is in sixth spot in AHL rookie scoring with 10 points. Randy Petruk has a 2.96 Avg. while goaltender Jean-Marc Pelletier leads the team with four wins. Pelletier has the league's fourth most saves with 232.

Moose Notes:

- Ryan Ready scored the first ever Moose AHL hat trick and first team hat trick since Dec. 27/00. He was selected first star for his three goal and six shot performance vs. Lowell on Nov. 3. He had five goals and an assist during last week's Moose action.

- Ready (10g, 6a) now leads the Moose with 16 points. He stands second in league scoring while tied for the league lead in goals (10) and power play goals (6).

- Tyler Bouck scored his first three goals of the season over the weekend. He notched a pair on Nov. 3 and had a marker on Nov. 2 vs. Worcester.

- Captain Brian Chapman played in his historic 400th contest wearing the Moose colours on Nov. 3. He becomes the first Manitoba Moose to reach the 400 games played plateau. Chapman holds the franchise record in this category with fellow teammate Jimmy Roy in second spot with 374 Moose games played.

- The Moose threw up a six spot on the scoreboard but could not get the win. Amazingly, this is the first time in Manitoba history that the team has scored six in a game and not won the match. However, when the franchise was in Minnesota they lost 7-6 in a shoot-out to Houston on Oct. 26/94.

- The Moose have gone out and shot 40+ shots in eight of the first 14 matches this season. The team is second in the league for shots average per game at 37.21 (14GP/521S) and lead the AHL with total teams shots for with 521.

- The Moose are 3-6-1-0 on the road so far this season. They earned their third road victory against Lowell on Nov. 3. Last season, Manitoba secured the third road win on Nov. 13/01 in their eighth road contest.

- The Moose beat Hartford 4-3 in overtime on Oct. 30. This was the first road overtime win since last season when Brandon Reid scored the overtime winner on April 3 in Chicago.

- Jeff Farkas leads the league with 54 shots. Steve Kariya is tied for second in the AHL in this category with 49 shots.

- Alex Auld is tied for fifth in the league with four wins and has a team-leading 3.38 Avg.

- Justin Kurtz (3g, 7a) leads Moose defenceman with 10 points and sits in fourth spot for AHL defenceman scoring.

- Brian Chapman has nine assists and is tied with Kariya for the team lead. Chapman is in second place among AHL defenceman in this category.

- Bryan Helmer leads all AHL defenceman with 42 shots.

- Defencenman Darrell Hay leads with a +5 rating.

- Bouck leads with 41 PIM.

- Manitoba is tied for the third most shorthanded markers at three.

- The team's penalty kill ranks 23rd with 82.1 % (14/78)

- Manitoba ranks tenth in power play with 17.7% (17/96)

- Manitoba has players with 12 NHL games played this season: Fedor Fedorov (7), Nolan Baumgartner (5).

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