Manitoba Moose

Ahoy Moose fans,

Getting settled for Game 2 of the Calder Cup Finals vs. the Hershey Bears. Well, settled isn’t the right word, actually a little nervous, but still hoping the boys can pull out a big win tonight!

Mark Cullen’s stick breaks towards the end of the warmups – good thing he’s testing them out now and not on an empty-net one-timer.

Geez, does no one get anything nowadays? Cheer when the OTHER team comes out. The ability to hear is a distinct advantage when playing hockey.

FIRST PERIOD

Matt Pope records the first Moose shot five minutes into the game as he scurries around the Hershey defense but can’t beat Michal Neuvirth. That gets a rise from the Pontiff’s cheering section in 222. Patrick McNeill takes a hooking call on the play.

The Bears get the best chance of the PP, though, as they surge 3-on-2. Staffan Kronwall takes the one-timer, but Cory Schneider gloves it.

A couple fans took the whiteout a little too literally, chalking up their torsos. Lovely…

The Manitoba defense gets caught pinching twice in one shift, allowing Alex Giroux (you know, the Moose killer from Saturday) a pair of breakaways in one shift. He slaps high on the first one, but twists Schneider in a knot on the second, sliding it behind him. But two breakaways for the guy in one shift? I thought the Moose had every monitoring device known to man on this guy… 1-0 Bears.

Giroux goes for a quick drink in a seedy saloon because he loves a good dive. Mario Bliznak takes two for tripping on the play.

The upside down sign is back in the first intermission! I’d been missing it since the Marlies series. Welcome back.

SECOND PERIOD

Hershey’s Dean Arsene is charged with cross-checking six minutes in. It’s a legit call, but marginal under a “whistle in the back pocket” system of reffing. We’ll take it.

Will we ever! Despite having trouble connecting on passes early in the advantage, a puck trickles through the crease, but Neuvirth misjudges it and can’t cover up. Jason Jaffray returns from Exile Island to jam it in, and it’s a 1-1 hockey game.

Shortly after, Keith Aucoin (de Portage and Donald) tomahawks the stick from Mark Fistric’s hands, and the two pieces of Fistric’s stick tell the tale.

On the ensuing PP, Jason Jaffray gets off a one-timer from a tough angle, but Neuvirth goes post-to-post in time to foil him. If the leather wasn’t branded before, it is now. That was a rocket!

Hockey in June = tank tops at the rink. Anyone else hoping the AHL turns into a summer league?

Holy! The Pope cheering section actually has Pope hats. How about a Popemobile?

THIRD PERIOD

The Bears come out peppering Schneider with shots, and pretty much every attack is a legit chance. Hershey has recorded their lowest shot output of the playoffs in the third period (166), but highest goal output (27). They add to one, but not the other, thanks to Schneider.

Weak call on Fistric for hooking, especially after Pope got laid out at the blue line 15 feet away from the puck earlier in the sequence. 

Michael Grabner makes a fine play to avoid the Tyler Sloan demolition derby in the Hershey zone, but fires over the net in his clear shot at Neuvirth.

Great shift by Jason Krog as he gets slammed into the end boards, snags the puck as he’s getting up, eludes a Hershey checker behind the net. Especially impressive after a poor effort to remain onside in a play in the first period.

Holy…Jason Jaffray pulls out his laser gun again and deflects a beam off of Bryan Helmer’s stick and past Neuvirth with just 47 seconds left. 2-1 Moose.

The Bears are pressed into attack mode, but Keith Aucoin quickly takes two for slashing as the Moose press the Hershey zone. Jaffray chips a puck from centre into the empty net to seal the deal. Moose win 3-1.

The sad thing is that it could be our last home game of the season. If it’s all over, hopefully we’ve rattled off three straight wins and not the opposite. You never want your team to lose a game, but it would be fantastic for the Moose to have an opportunity to clinch the Calder Cup on home ice. Dang 2-3-2 format.

And don’t forget to catch Games 3, 4 and 5 on Shaw and MTS TV.