Moose Stoned By Monsters In 2-1 Loss

Published on April 19, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Manitoba Moose News Release


The Manitoba Moose (1-2) returned home for Game 3 of their first round series against the Lake Erie Monsters (2-1) in a favourable position. After splitting the first two games in Lake Erie, the Moose and Monsters played the first of three straight at MTS Centre on Tuesday night.

Moose sniper Sergei Shirokov scored on the first shot of the game, helping the 7,823 in attendance get into the playoff spirit. But Lake Erie's John Grahame shut the door on the next 39 shots by Manitoba. The Monsters replied with two goals in the second period helping them to a 2-1 road win and a 2-1 series lead.

Shots don't go through shin pads. So needing a different route to the net, Moose leading scorer Sergei Shirokov evaded his obstacle by faking a slap shot at the top of the left circle before cutting to the slot where he then wristed the puck to the top of the Lake Erie net behind goalie John Grahame. Thanks to Shirokov's second goal of the playoffs, Manitoba reached the score sheet just 1:09 into the first period.

Through a penalty filled first period where each team committed a pair of minor infractions, neither power play unit could convert on their opportunities. The Moose and Monsters combined for 0-for-4 through the game's first period. The Moose outchanced the Monsters through 20 minutes with the shots tilted 13-6 in the home team's favour. The result was a one goal lead at the first intermission.

The Moose opened the second period with a series of failed attempts at clearing the puck from their own zone. Eventually Lake Erie's David Van der Gulik made them pay after a turnover on the left wing boards. Van der Gulik wired a shot over Moose goalie Tyler Weiman's shoulder from on the short side to tie it up at 0:38 of the second period.

The visitors then climbed into the lead with another goal at 3:03 after the Lake Erie captain Ben Walter tapped in a feed to the front of the net by Jonas Holos while on a two-on-one. The Moose, who had outplayed the Monsters in the opening period, were suddenly trailing 2-1 early in the second.

Manitoba had a case of déjà vu early in a second period power play when Lake Erie's Justin Mercier raced in on a shorthanded breakaway. Unlike Game 1 of the series when Mercier scored on an identical oportunity, Manitoba's netminder turned away the swift skating penalty killer keeping the visitors' lead at one goal.

The Moose had two 5-on-3 power plays during the period. The first two-man advantage spanned 46 seconds, while the second lasted a full 1:28. The power play unit could not score on either chance increasing Manitoba's special teams cold streak to 0-for-13 in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Manitoba's best special teams chance of the game was a shorthanded break by Mario Bliznak midway through the third period. Gillaume Desbiens sent a soft pass through the neutral zone that Bliznak caught up to outskating the Lake Erie defenceman. He slid the puck through John Grahame's pads on the breakaway but it trickled wide right of the net.

With less than two minutes remaining and goalie Tyler Weiman on the Moose bench in favour of the extra attacker, Manitoba sustained pressure in Lake Erie's zone getting several shots through on Grahame who hadn't been beaten since 1:09 of the first period. Helping the home team's cause, Lake Erie took an unsportsmanlike penalty with 26 seconds left. But for the third time in the game Manitoba couldn't find offence on a two-man advantage.

Lake Erie's John Grahame made 39 stops in total stoning the Moose and supporting his team to a 2-1 road victory in Game 3 of the series.

The Moose continue their North Division Semi-Final against the Lake Erie Monsters on Thursday, Apr. 21 when they host Lake Erie for Game 4 of the series. Game time at MTS Centre is 7:30 p.m. CT. Brian Munz and Jim Toth will call the action live on CJOB 68. Listen online at www.cjob.com.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 19, 2011


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