By Jen Sharpe
www.moosehockey.com
Alexandre Bolduc, Jason Jaffray, and Michael Grabner set a new franchise record for fastest three playoff goals Friday night, helping secure a 5-2 victory for the Manitoba Moose over the Syracuse Crunch. This North Division Semi-final series is now tied 2-2 heading into Saturday night's Game 5 at the MTS Centre.
>> Click to view photos of tonight's game.
>> Click here to see official scorer's sheet
First Period
The clang of the crossbar signaled the start of Game 4, as Moose forward Jannik Hansen rang one off the red paint just after the opening face-off. Two minutes later, Syracuse's Gilbert Brule headed to the penalty box for high-sticking and Manitoba headed on the powerplay.
But the Moose couldn't score on that opening man-advantage, and the Crunch soon got their chance when Mike Brown was assessed a kneeing penalty. The visitors assumed the shot lead on the powerplay, but sharp saves from Cory Schneider and a few lucky bounces kept the puck from crossing the goal-line.
Another penalty to Brule and then a second to Brown were required before the first goal of the game was scored. While controlling the play on a five-on-four, Syracuse's Joakim Lindstrom nudged a sharp-angle shot just under the crossbar to give the Crunch a 1-0 lead at 11:26.
A cluster of penalties kept special teams on the ice through the rest of the period. During a four-on-three powerplay, the Crunch slipped the puck along the goal-line on two occasions, but Schneider stretched to make both stops, prompting the sold-out crowd of 8,800 to erupt in appreciation.
Two Crunch penalties gave the Moose a period-closing five-on-three, and though the club managed only two shots during the powerplay, patient play-making gave Danny Groulx the chance to get the second past Karl Goehring and tie the game 1-1.
The goal freed one Syracuse skater from the penalty box, but an extra penalty to Derek MacKenzie at 19:57 ensured the Moose would stay on the two-man-advantage at the start of the second period.
Second Period
Manitoba's fourth and fifth powerplays expired without a go-ahead goal, and the club continued to claw at Syracuse's eight-shot lead. End-to-end rushes propelled the game to its midway point, but blocked shots and top-notch goaltending maintained 1-1 tie.
But that all changed in the following two minutes. After a face-off to the left of Goehring, defenceman Maxime Fortunus slipped up the right wing and fed the puck to Alexandre Bolduc at the doorstep, who fired it into the net to put the Moose up 2-1.
27 seconds later, Jason Jaffray made it 3-1 with a shot from the middle of the opposite face-off circle, tallying his first goal in his first game back from injury.
And then 1:25 after that, Michael Grabner capitalized on a penalty to Crunch defenceman Dan Smith by scoring his club's second powerplay goal of the game to set the score 4-1. The trio of Moose goals in 1:52 set the new team standard for fastest three playoff goals, smashing the previous record of 2:39 that was set in Game 3 of the 2005 North Division Semi-final vs. St. John's (5-2 W).
A third penalty for Brule offered Manitoba the chance to extend their lead, but Syracuse refused to stay on the defensive. With just under three minutes left in the middle frame, MacKenzie surged into the Moose zone and beat Schneider shorthanded to cut Manitoba's lead to two heading into the third period.
Third Period
The Crunch doubled up the Moose 16-8 in first period shots, and the Moose doubled up the Crunch 15-7 in second period shots, leaving both clubs tied with 23 shots at the start of the final frame.
Though both clubs registered only three attempts each in the first 15 minutes of the third, many more scoring chances kept the game exciting. Syracuse eventually re-claimed the shot lead, but Schneider's magnetic glove hand maintained Manitoba's 4-2 lead.
Despite facing six Syracuse skaters in the final two minutes, Brown's empty-netter sealed a 5-2 win for Manitoba, the series' first in regulation time.
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| SCORING |
1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| Syracuse |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
| Manitoba |
1 |
3 |
1 |
5 |
Apr 25, 2008 - MTS Centre FIRST PERIOD:1. Syracuse, J. Lindstrom (2) (D. Cullen, A. Plekhanov) 11:26 PP 2. Manitoba, D. Groulx (2) (J. Hansen, J. Jaffray) 19:50 PP Penalties - G. Brule Syr (high-sticking) 1:57, M. Brown Mtb (kneeing) 4:29, G. Brule Syr (cross-checking) 7:15, M. Brown Mtb (tripping) 10:13, N. DiCasmirro Syr (roughing) 12:16, C. Genoway Mtb (roughing) 12:16, B. Moran Mtb (slashing) 12:55, Z. Konopka Syr (hooking) 18:12, M. Rycroft Syr (high-sticking) 18:20, D. MacKenzie Syr (slashing, misconduct) 19:56 SECOND PERIOD:3. Manitoba, A. Bolduc (1) (M. Fortunus, C. Genoway) 10:18 4. Manitoba, J. Jaffray (1) (B. Moran) 10:45 5. Manitoba, M. Grabner (3) (C. Genoway, G. Classen) 12:10 PP 6. Syracuse, D. MacKenzie (1) (M. Methot, M. Rycroft) 17:07 SH Penalties - M. Keane Mtb (slashing) 5:20, D. Smith Syr (interference) 11:40, G. Brule Syr (roughing) 16:35, Served by T. Sestito Syr (bench minor - unsportsmanlike conduct) 20:00 THIRD PERIOD:7. Manitoba, M. Brown (2) (N. McIver) 18:58 EN Penalties - D. Dorsett Syr (roughing, roughing) 20:00, T. Sestito Syr (match - attempt/deliberate injury 21.1) 20:00, L. Bourdon Mtb (roughing, roughing) 20:00
| SHOTS |
1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| Syracuse |
16 |
7 |
9 |
32 |
| Manitoba |
8 |
15 |
5 |
28 |
POWER PLAYS:Syracuse Crunch 1-4. Manitoba Moose 2-8. GOALTENDERS:Syracuse Crunch Goehring 7-6-0 Start: 1st 0:00 Min: 58:16 SV: 23 GA: 4 [L] Manitoba Moose Schneider 1-4-0 Start: 1st 0:00 Min: 60:00 SV: 30 GA: 2 [W]
Attendance:
8,800
- MTB - Cory Schneider
- MTB - Jason Jaffray
- MTB - Colby Genoway
- This North Division Semi-final series continues Saturday, April 26th at 7:30pm.
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Updated: Apr. 25, 2008 at 10:39 PM CDT
