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Moose Slay Monsters 4-1

April 26, 2011 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Manitoba Moose News Release


Regardless of how difficult it was for the Manitoba Moose (4-3) to arrive at Game 7, their first round series against the Lake Erie Monsters (3-4) boiled down to one more game. One team's season would end on Tuesday night at Quicken Loans Arena. The Monsters struck first with a late goal in the opening period but goalie Eddie Lack held the Moose in the game. His teammates responded with four unanswered goals including a game winning breakaway goal by Alexandre Bolduc. The visiting Moose won Game 7 by a 4-1 score, advancing to the second round to face the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Moose forward Aaron Volpatti was ejected from Game 4 for an over aggressive hit and was eligible to return in Game 7. He was part of the only line-up change by the Moose as he was inserted in place of Rick Rypien who couldn't play because of a lower body injury.

Manitoba scored their first power play goal of the series in Game 6 and continued to struggle in Game 7 failing to capitalize on their first chance of the opening period. Meanwhile the Moose penalty kill was its reliable self stifling three Lake Erie power plays including 30 seconds of a 5-on-3 advantage.

Shortly after the teams returned to even strength, Lake Erie found the board on a screened point shot by defenceman Jonas Holos at 19:02. Lost in a maze of players, Moose goalie Eddie Lack couldn't track the long range wrister that found the net behind him for the first goal on Lake Erie's 15th shot.

The Monsters outshot the Moose 15-4 in the first period and continued to do so in the next frame. By the halfway mark of the game, Lake Erie still held a 1-0 lead but had opened up a 20-6 lead in shots on goal.

Eddie Lack kept Manitoba in the contest and his teammates responded with a tying goal at 16:21 of the second period. Manitoba's postseason leading scorer Marco Rosa entered the Lake Erie zone taking the puck wide down the left wing wall. Then from the corner, Rosa hit Sergei Shirokov driving the net with a perfect pass complemented by a perfect shot to the top shelf behind John Grahame.

The Moose and Monsters sat tied at the second intermission on Tuesday night, reducing their seven game series to the winner of one final period.

Moose forward Alexandre Bolduc took three penalties in Game 6, but the most important thing he took in Game 7 was the lead. Bolduc scooped up the puck and blazed through the neutral zone past a pair of Lake Erie defencemen before tucking it by John Grahame on the forehand to give the Moose a 2-1 lead with exactly 10:00 to play.

Lake Erie's Greg Mauldin took a penalty shortly after Manitoba's second goal. Then Keith Seabrook, who scored Manitoba's first power play goal of the series in Game 6, was an integral part of their second PPG. Fresh off the faceoff, Seabrook's point shot deflected to Bill Sweatt near the Monsters net where he buried the loose puck giving the visitors a 3-1 lead with 9:05 left in Game 7.

Marco Rosa sunk the empty net dagger with 1:51 left to play in the game and the series. The Moose completed their series comeback that began in Game 5 with their third straight win, a 4-1 final in Game 7. Eddie Lack made 32 saves and held the Monsters to just one goal while the Moose scored four unanswered goals.

The second round begins at Hamilton's Copps Coliseum on Thursday, Apr. 28 when the Bulldogs host the Moose in Game 1 of the North Division Final. Brian Munz brings you the action live on CJOB 68. Hear it live online at www.cjob.com.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 26, 2011


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