Moose slumping as club returns home

Published on February 16, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Manitoba Moose News Release


The Manitoba Moose came back from the All-Star break to complete a sevengame road trip but the results weren't quite what the team had hoped. After starting the trip with two consecutive wins, the club lost five straight including four after the All-Star Classic. After dropping a game in Milwaukee on Wednesday, the team went 0-3 over three games in three days through Grand Rapids, Cincinnati and Hamilton.

Manitoba now returns home to begin a ten-game homestand as they try and make up ground currently four points back of St. John's and the final playoff position in the North Division. Coming up this weekend is a pair of games against the San Antonio Rampage. On Friday the Moose salute the WHA's Winnipeg Jets by donning the original uniforms worn by the 1972-73 Jets.

UPCOMING OPPONENTS

San Antonio Rampage

Friday, February 20th 7:30 p.m. Winnipeg Arena Saturday, February 21st 6:00 p.m.

The Rampage enter the week in sixth in the AHL's West Division at 20-23-6-0...They are 8-12-2-0 away from home...The Rampage enter the week struggling with only three wins in their last 12 games...The team is in the middle of a monstrous 12-game road trip, with a record of 3-3-0-0 so far on the excursion...The Rampage power play is ranked 8th in the league with 16.3% success rate...They are 18th in the AHL in penalty-killing with 85.96% success rate...The Rampage are by far the most susceptible in the third period, having given up 52 of their 135 goals against in the final frame...San Antonio is tied with Manitoba for 15th in the league with 2.54 goals scored per game...San Antonio's leading scorer is Eric Beaudoin who has 20 goals and 22 assists in just 38 games...Beaudoin also leads the team with a +15 rating...Michel Periard is 19th amongst league defencemen in scoring with 5 goals and 17 assists for 22 points...The Rampage feature Winkler native Brent Krahn in goal. In nine games this season, the AHL rookie has a 3-3-0 record with a 2.72 goals-against average and .922 save percentage. The Moose and Rampage have met twice this season with the Rampage coming out on top both times, 3-2 on October 31 and 4-1 on November 5. The Moose have never beaten the Rampage, with a 0-3-3-0 record all-time.

UPCOMING EVENTS

The Golden Years

Friday, February 20th Winnipeg Arena

The Manitoba Moose Hockey Club announced today February 20th, 2004 is being billed as "The Golden Years Night". That night, the Moose will face-off against the San Antonio Rampage at the Winnipeg Arena. The organization will commemorate the years between 1972 and 1979 when the Winnipeg Arena was home to the World Hockey Association (WHA):

Commemorative Vintage Jerseys
* The Manitoba Moose will wear original blue 1972 WHA Jets jerseys, gloves, helmets, pants & socks.

Special Guests
* Ab McDonald, the first captain of the WHA Winnipeg Jets; Joe Daley, and many others.

Hockey Hall of Fame
* The Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame, among others, will present the original AVCO Cup, vintage WHA jerseys and other WHA collectables.

Other Special Details
* Nostalgic pricing with regular hotdogs and boxed popcorn priced at only $1.00 each!
* 3,000 Premium Posters will be given out to fans that celebrate many of the WHA Jets hockey memories that occurred at the Winnipeg Arena.

5th Annual "Follow your Dreams" Aboriginal Youth Day / Hockey Day in Canada
Saturday, February 21st Winnipeg Arena

The Manitoba Moose are proud to announce for the fifth consecutive year, the AHL team will host "Follow Your Dreams" - Aboriginal Youth Day is an event designed to provide Aboriginal students with positive role models and inspiration for the future. This year's event will take place this weekend on Saturday, February 21 when the Moose take on the the San Antonio Rampage. This year, the event will also be part of CBC's nationally broadcast "Hockey Day in Canada".

February 21, 2004 is also a special day in Canada as CBC and "Hockey Night in Canada" recognize the country's passion and love for the game of hockey with "Hockey Day in Canada". All day long, CBC will be broadcasting NHL hockey featuring Canadian based teams. As part of their special coverage, CBC selects live remote sites to feature on their broadcast. Winnipeg has been selected as a live remote site to feature several activities that will take place that day, including live updates of the game between the Moose and Rampage during CBC's broadcast of the Toronto Maple Leafs vs. the Montreal Canadiens.

MOOSE NOTES

Ryan Kesler was assigned to the Moose by the Canucks on the weekend. If he plays for the Moose on Friday, it will be his first game in Winnipeg since November 22. He has suited up for nine games with the Moose since that time, but they have all been on the road.

Nolan Baumgartner was recalled by the Canucks after Sunday's game. This will be Baumgartner's first stint with the Canucks since being reclaimed off waivers from Pittsburgh back on November 1. The past ten games have been by far Baumgartner's most productive this season with the Moose, netting ten points (2g, 8a). Prior to this ten-game stretch, Baumgartner had 11 points all season, including three in his previous 17 games.

Former Moose winger Tyler Bouck played his tenth game with the Canucks on the weekend, which means he will have to clear waivers if he was ever re-assigned back to Manitoba. Since his recall, Bouck has been a key member of Vancouver's third and fourth lines. He has two assists and 7 PIM in 10 games.

Sunday the Moose concluded their fourth and final stretch of three games in three days this season. In the second and third games of each stretch, the team has a record of 1- 7-0-0. In the opening game of each three-in-three stretch the Moose are 3-1-0-0.

With Hamilton's two power play goals Sunday, that marked the sixth consecutive game in which the Moose have given up a power play goal. Their opponents have scored ten times on 32 opportunities in that span (68.75%).

Saturday's goal by Chris Nielsen put an end to one of the longest scoreless drought's in franchise history. The scoreless drought of 140 minutes and 36 seconds was eclipsed only by the team getting blanked for 155:12 from February 2 to 10, 2001. During that stretch the club was shut out in consecutive games by Utah (2-0) and Orlando (1-0).

For the first time this season, the Moose have fallen to eight games below .500. The previous low was seven games below .500, reached back on November 12. After a 5-2 loss in Utah, the team fell to 3-10-3- 1 on the season. The last time the Moose were eight games below .500 was February 6, 1998 (20-28-5).



American Hockey League Stories from February 16, 2004


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