Manitoba Moose

Here we go, Moose fans,

I’m revved up and ready to get blogging about game two between the Toronto Marlies and your Manitoba Moose from the MTS Centre. The Moose have lost seven straight games to the Marlborough Men, but have been especially snake-bitten, playing well in two straight overtime losses. Actually, they’ve been iguana-bitten, gecko-bitten – insert your cold-blooded reptile of choice. Let’s hope they’ve fed Scaly and Sir Hiss to even things up tonight.

If you haven’t done it, come early enough to see pre-game warmup. Where else will you see Moose captain Mike Keane lob batting practice to Alexandre Bolduc (who hit a couple homers) from behind the net?

FIRST PERIOD

The Moose skate onto the ice for the first period, and I realize what those fan-clackers remind me of. A hailstorm – of fan fury (well, and a literal hailstorm).

The play is a little scrambly early, as Jason Jaffray walks in and clanks a shot off the post in the first minute. A couple missed passes lead to a couple of Marlies opportunities, but Cory Schneider shuts the door. Zack FitzGerald and Mark Fistric set the tone for the Moose, laying out a couple Marlies in open ice.

While digging out a puck from the boards while on his knees, Keane absorbs a hit from a Marlies player. That’s a no-no in any situation, and when it’s your captain, that goes double. Fistric and Andre Deveaux take minor roughing penalties, mainly because it’s hard to get all ten skaters in the penalty box.

At around the 12:00 mark, the puck takes a funny bounce towards centre ice near the Marlies bench. Did Gordon Lightfoot plant a paperback novel, the kind that drugstores sell?

Nolan Baumgartner tosses a puck towards the net, and it’s tipped in by Jason Jaffray at 12:12. Wheeler’s still announcing the scorers when the horn sounds again, Michael Grabner handcuffing Pogge this time, and it’s 2-0 Herd.

SECOND PERIOD

Pogge tries to fire Guillaume Desbiens’ fallen glove and doesn’t even make it to the blueline. Guess we don’t have to worry about him being the next Ron Hextall when we have an open net.

How does a guy named Jay Rosehill (Marlies toughie) finish second in the league in penalty minutes with 275? Is it a “boy named Sue” type scenario, where he grew up tough and he grew up mean? Memories of the goon Larry Playfair come rushing back.

I was never a Leafs fan, but it’s still strange to see Andre [“We Are”] Deveaux’s number 13 and think ‘that time off was not a good move for Mats Sundin’. I sincerely apologize for the lame 80’s band reference (the reference, not the band, being lame).

Pogge slips up in the crease without anyone near him, and doesn’t even make a move to the bench as a delayed penalty is called against the Moose. Ice a little slippery there? I hate ragging on the guy though, as he did lead Canada to a World Junior title, but so did Jeff Glass…anyone? Glass finished with a sub-.500 record with the Binghamton Senators this year.

THIRD PERIOD

It’s good to see a boisterous crowd at the MTS Centre tonight, cheering the home team, slagging the visitors, and giving that extra support the Moose need. I’m thinking upside-down “Go Moose Go” signs could be the next big thing – just get those orange signs up and start yelling!

Thinking back to Pogge for a sec, if you’re looking to focus on one player during a game, keep an eye on the goalie. No ‘tender does his (or her) job the same way, just like a drummer in a band. The obvious action may be all up front, but you’ll almost always catch something interesting if you look through to the backstop.

I’m a fan of looking around the crowd for obscure jerseys and other memorabilia. The best I see tonight is the Wade Brookbank Moose jersey. He played 72 games for the Moose from 2003-05. Next playoff game, though, if you’re not coming out in Moose gear (which I would encourage), bust out the craziest hockey jersey you have. Hartford Whalers, Orlando Solar Bears, Adler Mannheim? Do it up.

Late in the third, and Jaffray takes a feed from Desbiens to cement the Moose 4-2 victory. Much as I love hockey at the MTS Centre, I’m hoping the next Moose game I see is against Grand Rapids or Hamilton (Griffins currently lead that series 1-0).