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Moose Take The Heat In A Shootout 3-2

March 25, 2011 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Manitoba Moose News Release


In a multicultural event at MTS Centre, a pair of the AHL's Canadian teams faced off on Folklorama Night with a Swedish goaltender helping decide the game. The Manitoba Moose (39-27-1-5) and Abbotsford Heat (34-26-4-6) played to a shootout for the third time this season. After making 45 saves in regulation, Manitoba's Eddie Lack was perfect in the shootout round securing a 3-2 shootout win for his team in front of 8,726 fans on Friday night.

Moose centre Marco Rosa played his last game for Manitoba on Jan. 21 when he suffered a lower body injury that sidelined him for the next 29 games. Rosa made his return to the lineup on Friday night and took the opening faceoff flanked by Guillaume Desbiens and Sergei Shirokov.

Manitoba surrendered the game's first penalty of the game but their goalie refused to surrender the game's first goal. After Jordan Schroeder was sent to the box at 10:03, Eddie Lack robbed Abbotsford's leading scorer when a cross ice feed to Matt Keith was denied by the right pad of Lack. Then during the ensuing scramble in front of the Moose net, Keith scooped up a loose puck and again was stopped by Lack positioned at the top of his crease.

Lack was essential to Manitoba staying in the game early as the Swedish goaltender faced another onslaught with Moose forward Rick Rypien in the penalty box. Again, the Heat failed to capitalize.

The Moose were gifted their first man advantage with 1:18 left in the period. Abbotsford's Ryan MacMurchy was hauled away for slashing and Manitoba made the Heat pay. Moose captain Nolan Baumgartner sent the puck to Mark Flood at the opposite point and Flood used a heavy screen to give his team the first goal of the game at 19:11.

By the end of the first period, the Heat had outshot the Moose 19-4 but the home team sat on a one goal lead after 20 minutes.

Manitoba has one of the more feared checking lines in the AHL with the likes of Rick Rypien, Aaron Volpatti, and Garth Murray. All three have NHL experience playing a physical role and definitely dish it out in their present role with the Moose.

Volpatti stepped over the line early in the second period when he high sticked Abbotsford's John Armstrong while backchecking against the Heat centre. That penalty paired with Ryan Parent's tripping minor one minute later gave the visitors a 5-on-3 man advantage. The Moose killed off Volpatti's minor but Heat defenceman Chris Breen sent a wrist shot over Eddie Lack's shoulder from the right circle to tie up the game on their 24th shot.

Volpatti's showed what he can do with his fists at 7:59 of the second period when he dropped the gloves with the Heat's Logan MacMillan. Clearly out matched by the Moose scrapper, MacMillan took several blows to the head before hitting the deck.

Moose defenceman Yann Sauve isn't known for his physical play but lowered hit shoulder into the Heat's Ryan Stone behind Manitoba's net. Carter Bancks took exception to the hit on his Abbotsford teammate so he threw his gloves and grabbed a hold of Sauve. Sauve, who had never had a pro fight before, pulled Bancks to the ice after trading punches.

Marco Rosa was in the midst of a lengthy hot streak when he was felled by an injury in January. He picked up where he left off in his first game back on Friday giving his team a go ahead goal at 14:42 of the second period. Rosa crashed the net and tapped in a loose puck that sat behind Heat goalie J.P. Lamoureux after he stopped the original shot by Travis Ramsey.

The Moose carried their one goal lead into the third period where Eddie Lack continued his strong play. But Lack displayed the lucky part of being good seven minutes into the third when a floating point shot by Abbotsford's T.J. Brodie bounced off the top bar and down into the Moose crease.

That luck evened out shortly after when a scramble around Lack's net ended up bouncing into the slot with players all over the crease. The Heat's Carter Bancks buried the loose puck past Lack to tie it up 2-2 with 12:03 to go in the period.

The deadlock remained through the rest of the third frame despite Abbotsford's efforts to beat Eddie Lack for a third time. The Heat outshot the Moose 44-21 through 60 minutes.

There were few shots and it seemed even fewer chances taken in overtime with both teams combining for five shots on goal. With the score still tied at the end of the 4-on-4 extra frame, the North Division rivals headed to a shootout for the third time this season.

Manitoba's leading scorer Sergei Shirokov started the shootout with a goal for the home side. Garth Murray and Bill Sweatt added two more for the Moose while Eddie Lack was perfect at the other end on three Heat shooters. The Moose secured the shootout win over Abbotsford for the first time this season finishing with a 3-2 score.

The Moose and Heat play again Sunday at 12 p.m. noon to fininsh off their eight-game season series. The game is broadcasted live on CBC and as always, Brian Munz brings you the action on CJOB 68.



American Hockey League Stories from March 25, 2011


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