Sports stats



Moose Turn Down Heat 3-1

November 28, 2010 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Manitoba Moose News Release


It's hard to find fault in a performance where your team allowed only one regulation goal and put 41 shots on the opposing goalie. Yet Manitoba Moose (11-6-0-2) head coach Claude Noel couldn't have been pleased with a 2-1 shootout loss to the Abbotsford Heat (12-9-0-2) on Friday. In Saturday's rematch in Abbotsford in front of a sold out crowd of 7,044, rookie Cody Hodgson scored a pair of goals including the game winner and Eddie Lack stopped 28 of 29 shots for the Moose as Manitoba recorded a 3-1 victory.

Similar to Friday night, the Moose were afforded a power play early but this time it wasn't spoiled by a penalty of their own. 1:53 into regulation the Heat were caught with too many men and were assessed the bench minor. The forward line of Marco Rosa-Victor Oreskovich-Jonas Andersson registered several scoring chances for the Moose, including a point blank backhand chance by Oreskovich, but Heat goalie Leland Irving carried over Friday night's heroics in the early stages of the game.

Irving had to be sharp a few minutes later when Abbotsford rookie defenceman Cody Lampl gave a gift to Moose forward Kevin Clark, coughing up the puck and allowing Clark to walk in alone on the Heat goaltender. Clark was stoned on a backhand deke but Lampl took a penalty on the same play. The Moose failed to score on their second power play of the game and Irving continued to look as unbeatable as Friday night.

Of all the saves either goalie produced on Friday night, none were prettier than the save Eddie Lack made with 0:25 left in the first period of Saturday's game. Heat leading scorer Greg Nemisz fed the puck to Lance Bouma breaking in on a rush. But the six-foot-four Moose goaltender fully extended his left pad deflecting Bouma's sure-thing backhand off his toe and out.

The Moose were 0-for-3 on the power play in the first period while the Heat were empty handed on their only man advantage. The first ended in a scoreless tie with Manitoba outshooting Abbotsford, 9-8.

Play was halted early in the second period when Abbotsford defenceman Keith Seabrook was crumpled against the boards in his own zone by Moose winger Tommy Maxwell. The hit by Maxwell left Seabrook out of sorts and he eventually left the ice on his own power with the Heat trainer trotting beside him.

The goaltending clinic officially ended in a big way at the 16:09 mark of the second period. First, the Heat's Matt Keith broke the scoreless deadlock with his 10th goal of the season. Keith streaked down the right wing after receiving a stretch pass by defenceman Josh Meyers and let go a slap shot from the top of the circle that split Lack's pads.

That lead lasted only a moment. Manitoba's Kevin Clark scooped up a loose puck off the centre ice faceoff and broke down the left wing wall. Clark busted around the defenceman Meyers and cut to the net, putting a backhand through Irving's legs for the even up goal just nine seconds after the first score of the game. Clark's fourth of the season was assisted by Sergei Shirokov, giving the Russian his team leading 15th point of the season.

The Moose and Heat were still tied after 40 minutes, but only after a pair of quick goals at the end of the middle frame. Tied 1-1, Manitoba held a 24-18 shot lead over Abbotsford with both goaltenders keeping their respective teams in the game.

The sold out crowd went silent midway through the third period because of a dangerous play that unfolded in Manitoba's end. Moose forward Aaron Volpatti hit Heat centre Mitch Wahl with a full head of steam after Wahl followed through on a shot high in the slot. The devastating hit left Wahl motionless on the ice and he needed the aid of a stretcher to leave the ice. The stunned crowd was given some assurance as Wahl signalled them with a thumb up as he was carried off.

The play continued with the crowd still muted but the Moose gained their first lead of the game shortly after at 10:43. Manitoba's leading goal scorer Cody Hodgson deflected linemate Bill Sweatt's low wrist shot by Irving for his ninth of the season. Manitoba's Jordan Schroeder drew the second assist on the go ahead goal, giving the Moose a late 2-1 lead.

With Leland Irving on the Heat bench for an extra attacker, Hodgson fired his tenth goal from the neutral zone and into an empty net with 1:10 left in the third period. Hodgson's second marker sealed the 3-1 victory for the Moose. In the end Manitoba outshot Abbotsford by a total of 35-29.

The third game of Manitoba's four-game road trip goes Tuesday, Nov. 30 in Chicago. The Wolves host the Moose at Allstate Arena with game time at 7:00 p.m. CST.

• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...

American Hockey League Stories from November 28, 2010


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central