The Manitoba Moose (7-6-2) have been playing some good hockey lately, coming into action on a 4 game winning streak where they have out-scored the opposition 14 to 7. The Winnipeg Jets’ minor league affiliate had just returned home from a 5 game road trip and were hoping they could continue to be as successful in their home barn. The competition this Thursday evening was a Central Division rival, the Chicago Wolves (7-4-3), who were sitting a place above our Moose by 1 point entering the contest.

The fans at the Canada Life Centre in Manitoba’s capital city were able to witness the return of some of the Jets’ top prospects as forwards Nikita Chibrikov, Brad Lambert, & Parker Ford spent a prolonged amount of time with the big club. Unfortunately the demotion apparently didn’t sit well with Lambert, whose agent has now received permission from Winnipeg to try and work out an agreeable trade with another NHL franchise. The other two youngsters were saying the right things though, noting that their extended time with the Jets will make it easier to adjust quickly when they are called up in the future. Ford, in particular, was quoted as saying how feeling comfortable with the day to day routines in the NHL and finding his place in the locker room will allow him to solely focus on hockey the next time he pulls on a Jets’ jersey. We will have to see how this all plays out, as other players like Logan Stanley have received the same permission yet never were actually traded.

Lets find out how the influx of talent impacted the Manitoba Moose’s winning streak….

SHOTS: Chicago 29 Manitoba 23

PP: Manitoba 0 of 1 Chicago 0 for 3

From the opening puck drop, the Moose looked like they were shot out of a cannon and immediately went to work in the Wolves’ end. On the second shift of the game, Nikita Chibrikov floated a beautiful pass cross ice to Isaak Phillips at the point and the defenseman blasted a shot through the traffic in front to put Manitoba up 1-0 early. A powerplay opportunity saw the Moose control the puck the entire time as they peppered the tender with shots, the best being a prime low slot look for Brad Lambert that failed to beat Cayden Primeau’s glove hand. They continued to push for more offense, but a mistake in the defensive end resulted in a scramble in front and a goal against Thomas Milic when the puck popped out to an uncovered Chicago player. The rest of the opening period saw the ice tilted in favour of the hometown club, out shooting the opposition 11-5, yet the score remained tied going into the intermission.

The 2nd period started off well for the Moose, as they again rolled back-to-back shifts in the offensive zone. Colby Barlow might have had his best AHL game and he was almost rewarded on the scoresheet when he set up Jaret Anderson-Dolan in the low left face-off circle, only to see the puck ring off the crossbar. Fortunately the kid stuck with it and on the next shift he & Phillips worked the boards low in the o-zone before the rookie quickly hurled the puck towards the net, allowing Danny Zhilkin the chance to bang home the rebound. The Moose were up 2-1 early in the middle frame and almost added to that when Brayden Yager sent Ville Heinola in all alone. The Finnish defender beat the goalie with a move to his forehand, but the shot attempt ended up hitting the side of the net. Chicago finally woke up later in the 2nd period, but the shot count was 23-16 for Manitoba when the frame concluded (was 18-9 MB at one point).

If I had to describe the 3rd period as briefly as I could….I would probably just say that the Moose were back on their heels for the entire 20 minutes. It is weird how momentum works sometimes, but the final frame was entirely different than what preceded it. All of a sudden, it seemed like Manitoba was skating uphill any time they attempted to leave their zone, allowing Chicago to push for the equalizer with abandonment. Fortunately, the defensive structure remained in place and for the most part, the chances against Milic weren’t overly challenging. Both clubs got great scoring looks during a period of 4 on 4 play, but the Moose’s ended without a shot on net and the Wolves’ required some great lateral movement by our goaltender to stop a goal from being scored. In the end, Manitoba was outshot by 13 to 0 in the final frame, the first time ever the AHL franchise has ever been held without a shot in a period on home ice. Thankfully Thomas Milic posted a .966 save percentage on route to his 4th straight win and the Manitoba Moose’s 5th in a row.

*****

THREE STARS

Have no problem at all with the Three Stars decided for this one. Thomas Milic was fantastic and well deserving, with his 4th straight game with a save percentage of at least .917%. I’ve been very impressed with Isaak Phillips this year, as being paired with Elias Salomonsson has freed him to join in on more offensive rushes to help create odd man situations. Danny Zhilkin centered the game’s best forward unit, with Colby Barlow and Jaret Anderson-Dolan spending a high percentage of their shifts in the o-zone.

The Manitoba Moose (8-6-2) now move into 3rd place in the Central Division and will have a chance to increase their lead on the Chicago Wolves when they meet for the rematch on Saturday afternoon.