Moose Wrap up the Road with 3-1 Win in Texas

Published on December 14, 2010 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Manitoba Moose News Release


After awhile, a goal scoring drought can really weigh. For either a player or a whole team. The Manitoba Moose (13-10-0-4) were able to snap a pair of streaks tonight against the Texas Stars (16-11-1-1), curing both Marco Rosa and the power play. Rosa wristed home the game winning goal early in the third period of the 3-1 win and Eddie Lack was huge in Manitoba's net turning away 37 of 38 shots. The win in front of 4,220 fans marked the first Moose victory at Cedar Park Center in Texas.

The goaltending battle pinned a pair of rookies with Eddie Lack in the Moose goal and Tyler Beskorowany in the Stars. Each has proven themselves this season, more recently Beskorowany coming off a 37-save performance on Sunday. The Stars and Moose exchanged four shots each by the 5:00 mark of the game in a wide open first few minutes, suggesting the remaining 55 might be short on goals.

The Moose broke open the scoresheet 12:14 into the first period on a power play, breaking a streak of 29 straight man advantages without a goal. The play that snapped the skid resulted as Moose defenceman Mark Flood bounced a one-timer off of the cross bar that landed in the crease. Then in the ensuing scrum Victor Oreskovich shoved in his fourth goal of the season. The first goal of the game was assisted by Flood and Lee Sweatt.

Eddie Lack made a remarkable save in the waning minutes of the period as he slid cross crease on a point blank, one-time play. Lack's extended left pad robbed Texas forward Greg Rallo to maintain Manitoba's one-goal lead.

But even the good can be unlucky. Lack made another solid save moments later off of Rallo from in the slot. Then the puck deflected high into the air and over Lack and in while the Moose netminder lost track of the ricochet with the Stars Francis Wathier at the top of his crease. With just 31 seconds left in the opening frame, the Stars tied it up at 1-1. The Moose held the advantage in shots after 20 minutes, 13-11.

Some guys are built to fight, like Stars captain Brad Lukowich. And some guys are not, like the unwilling Moose player Lukowich teed off on at 1:49 of the second period. After a whistle in the Stars crease, Lukowich wanted to shed gloves with Joel Perrault who ended up holding on until the linesmen split them up.

The Stars were given their first man advantage of the game at 4:39 of the second period when Moose forward Stefan Schneider was assessed his first penalty in 22 games played this season. Even with Manitoba's best penalty killer in the box, the Moose escaped the Stars power play and escaped still tied 1-1.

Midway through the second period, Lack and Bekorowany combined to stop 37 of 39 shots as the Moose led in shots 22-17 at the 10:00 mark of the middle frame. The Stars goal scorer, Greg Rallo, had recorded a game high seven shots by the halfway point.

Late in the second period, a couple of guys used to throwing fists squared off as Stars left winger Luke Gazdic wasn't a fan of the crushing hit Tommy Maxwell laid on him in his own zone. Gazdic picked himself off the ice, tracked down Maxwell, and challenged the Moose forward to his first fight since Dec. 1 in Milwaukee. Maxwell and Gazdic tied up and traded a couple blows that didn't land before the Moose fighter lost his footing and spun to the ice.

Time ran out on the period with the Moose and Stars deadlocked 1-1 with the Moose leading in shots, 30-21. Moose left winger Shawn Weller led the visitng squad in shots with five after 40 minutes.

Marco Rosa took a hooking penalty early in the first period as he hauled down the Stars Mathieu Tousignant during a very effective Texas cycle. The Stars played catch with the puck for nearly two minutes in Manitoba's end but had nearly every chance blocked or deflected wide.

Then less than 30 seconds after stepping out of the penalty box, Rosa received a pass in the neutral zone and picked the glove hand corner of the Stars net with a deadly wrist shot from the high slot. Rosa's goal, assisted by Travis Ramsey and Mark Flood, broke open the 1-1 draw and ended a 19-game goal-less drought for Manitoba's number 19.

Eddie Lack stood tall in a third frame where the Stars blitzed the Moose netminder for 17 third period shots, including a flurry of chances in the dying minutes of the third period. Lack was finally given some relief Mario Bliznak bounced an empty netter down the ice at 19:52. Lack even assisted on the team's third goal of the game, and capped off a 3-1 win with his own 37-save performance and a helper. The Moose return to Winnipeg for a pair of home games against the Houston Aeros on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 17-18. Game time at MTS Centre for both games is 7:30 pm CST. Get your tickets now for Friday's game and take part in the annual Teddy Bear Toss.

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American Hockey League Stories from December 14, 2010


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