Manitoba Moose

No goals, no assists and minus-four.

New Manitoba Moose winger John Lammers knows there's much more expected from him and those zeroes beside his name are starting to bug him.

"Yeah, that's always frustrating," the former Houston Aeros forward said on the eve of tonight's AHL game against the Hamilton Bulldogs at MTS Centre. "The team is starting to come around now and starting to score. But you want to contribute to your team no matter how you can and scoring goals always helps.

"As long as the chances are there, it's not as frustrating. It gets a little frustrating but I've got good linemates and they'll come eventually ... As long as the team is winning, that's all I really care about. Goals are a bonus and hopefully, we can turn it around."

Moose coach Scott Arniel figures it is only a matter of time before the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Langley, B.C. native breaks out of his slump.

"Lamms is a guy that we're looking at more on the offensive side," Arniel said. "We know he's struggling putting the puck in the net but I think that he's gotten that in his own head right now that he really wants to get that first goal and that will open the floodgates for him.

"But it's a guy I can see on the penalty kill as well as a patrol man in power-play situations. So he's a good spot player that you can use in different circumstances. I like that line with (Mark) McCutcheon and Marty Murray (and Lammers). They've been creating an awful lot of chances. They haven't been rewarded but they've been very, very good as a unit playing together and Lamms is really understanding how I want him to play."

Aside from his lack of production, Lammers is enjoying his new surroundings.

"It's been really good," said Lammers, who played with Moose mate Marco Rosa in Houston last year. "For the most part, hockey is the same thing so I'm trying to catch on to this system pretty quick and the guys have been great so, this has been a good transition.

"This is a great city. I played here before and I realized how much they love hockey here and have such great fans. It's been really good so far."

DUCK FLIES IN: As expected, the Anaheim Ducks assigned forward Eric Christensen to the Moose for conditioning. Like Lammers, the nomadic NHLer was pointless in nine games with the Ducks this season and the Moose are not sure how much the 6-foot-1, 208-pound Edmonton native will help them.

"We are in need of a playmaking centre and we are hopeful he will come down here and prove to people he wants to play," said Moose GM Craig Heisinger.

UNDER KNIFE: Moose defenceman Lawrence Nycholat had arthroscopic surgery yesterday and is expected to miss another month.

"I'm not sure if that's longer than first expected," Heisinger said. "We'd rather have him back when he's 100% rather than come back too early and aggravate it."