Manitoba Moose

Complete this sentence: The Manitoba Moose power play is so powerless...

1. it's been blanked in 12 of 21 games this season.
2. it has seven goose eggs in a row.
3. it's ranked 28th in a 29-team league.
4. its own head coach has sarcastically called it a momentum-builder for the opposition.

Of course, the answer is all of the above as the Moose head into their divisional weekend doubleheader at the MTS Centre against the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Only the last-overall Syracuse Crunch outdo the Moose in power-play ineptitude. With its streak of seven straight games without a man-advantage goal -- that's zero for 31 in that time -- the Moose have dipped to just 10.6 efficiency.

It's small consolation that the team's penalty-killing has been fine, stopping 27 of 30 opposition power plays in this seven-game stretch.

Without a power play, the Moose offence is in shambles. It has scored just 14 goals in the last 12 games, and five of them came in one game. No matter how well goalies Cory Schneider or Daren Machesney play, having next to no power-play production and hovering around a goal a game is surely the road to ruin. Still, the team is above .500 at 10-9-2 and coming off a pair of wins over Toronto last weekend.

The Moose have worked extensively on their special teams in the last two weeks of practice and did show improvement, though no power-play goals, against the Marlies.

This weekend, they believe they have a little momentum. And they'll be adding centre Erik Christensen, sent by the NHL's Anaheim Ducks on a conditioning stint that can last no more than 14 days.

Christensen, who has 42 goals in 226 NHL games, has no points in nine games with the Ducks this season.

"He's probably what we need right now -- somebody who can run a power play on the half wall and a real good playmaker with a nose for the net as well," Moose coach Scott Arniel said.

Inserting Christensen is one move. Shifting forward Sergei Shirokov back to the point is another.

"Sergei's done it once this year and we gave up a short-handed goal, so as a coach, you kind of get a little gun-shy, but I think I need to get my best five players on the ice."

No matter who's where, the coach has been barking plenty at his troops about shots on goal as a key to ending the drought.

"The first few games of that seven games, we weren't really shooting the puck, trying to make too many pretty plays," defenceman Nolan Baumgartner said.

Making comparisons

Manitoba Moose vs. Hamilton Bulldogs

Games: Tonight and Saturday, 7:30 p.m., MTS Centre

2009-10 series: Each team recorded a win in a two-game set in Hamilton in October.

About the Moose: Have added C Erik Christensen on conditioning from Anaheim. Dependable C Mario Bliznak comes back after missing one game. Still, the team has nine regulars missing due to call-up or injury or both.

About the 'Dogs: 10-3-1-3 after a split of games Tuesday and Wednesday in Abbotsford; will have played four in five nights by the time the set here is done; G Curtis Sanford, excellent for the Moose in last season's second half, has six wins and has played the majority of Hamilton's games.