Manitoba Moose

The Manitoba Moose have been down this road before, but there's a difference this time.

This time they arrive in the AHL's final four with confidence and not a 'just glad to be here' attitude.

Not to take anything away from the two teams Randy Carlyle steered to the Western Conference finals, first in the old IHL and later in this league, but those clubs were tattered, torn and decided underdogs when they reached this step in their post-season journeys.

The current Moose are a different matter altogether in that they've gotten here in fairly smooth fashion and are the favourites in the Calder Cup sweepstakes.

Whether it's the Houston Aeros or Milwaukee Admirals that take to the MTS Centre ice on Friday night to face the Moose in Game 1 of the Western Conference title series, they'll know they're in tough with these Moose.

"For most of us in this room, our season would have been a failure if we didn't get to this point," said Moose veteran Jason Jaffray, who led a group of his teammates through an optional practice on Sunday morning at MTS Centre with no coaches on the ice. "Management put together this team to bring a championship to this city. We need that for the fans and the franchise. They didn't just go out and get good players but they tried to get the right players. Players that can win a championship."

Manitoba rested for three days following their sweep of the Grand Rapids Griffins in the North Division final.

Certainly not a cinch to win this series or the next, the Moose, however, are not punching above their weight class as they were in their two previous trips to the third round.

They're healthy, rested and confident in their abilities and strategies. Maybe the biggest difference is in the simple assertion that the Moose are supposed to be here and aren't uninvited guests.

Maybe you've stumbled into a party before, received a lukewarm greeting from the host, been gently shoved into a corner and then handed a jam jar filled with the cheap scotch.

The polite course of action is to choke back your cocktail and then quietly slip out the side door.

That's the routine the Moose have followed at this stage in previous seasons but in this case they find themselves with a printed invitation and an understanding of the dress code.

"It's a different feeling. We've always been underdogs before," explained Jaffray. "I don't know if it's confidence or chemistry but we feel this where we belong. This is where we're supposed to be."

History will remind us of Brian Chapman playing 30 minutes a night on a knee that wouldn't allow him to walk through the airport without visibly limping and wincing as the 2000-01 Moose took on the Chicago Wolves in the IHL's Western Conference. Offensive catalyst Steve Brule was slowed by an ailing back and sniper Rusty Fitzgerald missed the series altogether with a broken wrist. No question, those Moose were a nice team but definitely undermanned and expectably fell in six games to the mighty Wolves.

Flash forward to the 2004-05 season and here come the Moose again -- but not much was different. Waiting for them again in the conference championship were the Wolves and again, Manitoba was light on the ammo.

Much is different this season as the Moose have taken just 10 games to sail through the first two rounds.

Goalie Cory Schneider is at the top of his game, Alex Bolduc is enjoying a breakout playoff and Jaffray, along with centre Jason Krog, are proving to be post-season producers.

There's depth, balance and leadership. None of the ingredients are missing.

The bottom line is this: Never has a Moose club had a better chance of succeeding at this point in the playoffs.

Maybe, just maybe, they'll do something none of their predecessors have done and overstay their welcome.

Waking up on a strange couch the day after a party and stepping out into the sunshine of a new morning isn't the worse thing one can do. Maybe you'll be packing a bit of a headache but it'll fade by early afternoon. The memories, however, can last a lifetime.

Manitoba signs Oberg, recalls goalie Ford

On the job: The Moose return to work this morning with a practice at the MTS Centre after taking the weekend off. An optional skate was held on Sunday but none of the club's coaches were on the ice and several veterans gave it a miss.

Fresh blood: The club has signed rookie defenceman Evan Oberg to an amateur tryout contract. The 20-year-old Albertan played in 43 games with the University of Minnesota-Duluth this past season, scoring seven goals and 20 assists. Manitoba also recalled 25-year-old goalie Tom Ford from the Victoria Salmon Kings of the ECHL. Ford appeared in 35 games with Victoria going 17-15-1 with a 2.64 goals against average and a .915 save percentage.

Coming up: Game 1 of the Western Conference final is set for Friday night with Game 2 Saturday. Both games will be played at the MTS Centre. Who the Moose will host is still undecided -- the Houston Aeros lead the Milwaukee Admirals 3 games to 2 in their best-of-seven division series. Game 6 in that set is scheduled for tonight in Milwaukee.