By Gary Lawless

CHICAGO -- Kevin Bieksa was in the building for less than five minutes before he began making the switch from Armani-clad NHLer to just another one of the fellows down on the farm.

Bieksa arrived late for the morning skate here in suburban Chicago and shed his suit for a Moose practice jersey in no time flat. It took him less time once the game began to show a near-four-month absence had not curbed his appetite for destruction.

Bieksa, assigned to the Moose by the Vancouver Canucks for a conditioning stint, drilled former teammate Jesse Schultz twice in the first shift of the game and let all involved know he was in the game and feeling just fine.

Bieksa's injection lifted the Moose to a 2-1 overtime win over the Western Conference-leading Chicago Wolves before 4,127 watchers at Allstate Arena.

While Bieksa was one storyline, the winning goal being credited to Moose goalie Drew MacIntyre was the other.

The goal was originally credited to defenceman Danny Groulx but was changed to MacIntyre following the game. The Wolves' Steve Martins fired the puck the length of the ice into his own net and referee Ryan Fraser deemed MacIntyre was the last Manitoba player to have touched it.

"It could have hit the knob of my stick, I don't know," said MacIntyre. "If it is mine, that's pretty cool. I'll take it. That's the bounces I guess."

Bieksa, a veteran of 132 NHL games, also set Pierre-Cédric Labrie off and running on Manitoba's first goal of the game and was an offensive force all evening.

Bieksa suffered a lacerated calf on Nov. 1 and required surgery to repair the deeply cut leg. The 26-year-old native of Grimsby, Ont. has been back skating for close to two weeks and Wednesday was his first game action since the injury.

Game conditioning was supposed to be an issue for Bieksa but he showed little rust and logged lots of ice time. His rehab stretch with the Moose will be limited to one game as it was announced late Wednesday night that he had been re-assigned to Vancouver and will be in the Canucks' lineup today in Nashville.

"I'm not sure what's going to happen here. There are still a few phone calls to be made," said Bieksa, following the game. "I felt pretty good out there. My timing was a little rusty but that will come back quickly. It was a good game for me. Right down to the wire and overtime. I got to be in a lot of battles in front of the net and in the corners that I've been missing in practice."

Bieksa was glad to be making his return with the Moose.

"This will be game-to-game. We'll see how it goes. I'm excited to get back into a game. It's absolutely fun to be here," said Bieksa. "I've played with half the guys on this team. This is where I got my start. Zinger (Moose GM Craig Heisinger) gave me my first chance and I'm still glad to be attached to this organization. It should be fun to play here for a few games."

Moose coach Scott Arniel said the defender was a helping hand.

"He was pretty good out there. He calmed a lot of our guys down and settled things down when he was out there. He's definitely got an excellent skill set and he brings a lot to the table," said Arniel.

The win keeps Manitoba in second place in the North Division with 62 points while the Hamilton Bulldogs were also winners last night and have 62 points as well but remain in third place with fewer wins than the Moose.

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca

Manitoba 2

Chicago 1 (OT)

Highlight

REEL

FIRST PERIOD

No scoreboard blood. Both clubs get their chances but Moose goalie Drew MacIntyre and his Wolves counterpart Ondrej Pavelec keep their slates clean.

Moose 0 / Chicago 0

SECOND PERIOD

Rookie Pierre-Cédric Labrie breaks a 36-game goal drought as he hammers a slapshot from just inside the Chicago blue-line that handcuffs Pavelec. The Wolves snap back late in the frame as Bryan Little rips a shot along the ice that MacIntyre can't find in a mess of crease traffic.

Moose 1 / Chicago 1

Third Period

The Wolves are at the door but MacIntyre says beat it with a tremendous period of saving.

Moose 1 / Chicago 1

OVERTIME

The Moose win on the strangest of goals that is credited to MacIntyre. On a delayed penalty call the Wolves empty their net and forward Steve Martins throws the puck back to the point but no one is there and the puck makes it all the way into the Chicago net. MacIntyre was the last Moose to touch the puck -- he said after the game that he thought the puck might have hit the knob of his stick -- and he earns the first goal of his pro career.

Moose 2 Chicago 1

ICE CHIPS

Game-breaker

MacIntyre allows the Moose to hold onto second place in the North Division as he makes 29 saves and is credited with the game-winning goal in overtime.

Lineup ins and outs

Forwards Greg Classen and Juraj Simek as well as defencemen Zack FitzGerald and David Schulz were all healthy scratches.

Still one of the best

Remember Wayne Mesmer's stirring renditions of The Star Spangled Banner from Chicago Stadium during the Blackhawks' heyday in the 1980s? Mesmer, now an executive with the Wolves, still has the pipes and he belted out a beauty prior to last night's match.

Tunnel vision

The dressing room setup at Allstate Arena can make for some interesting moments as players leave the ice through the same exit at the end of the rink and then walk down a tunnel to the adjacent dressing rooms. Former Wolves tough guy Chris LiPuma threatened one-time Moose Bruce Richardson with gunplay in this area and last night Wolves defenceman Brian Fahey and Moose winger Mike Brown exchanged words as they left the ice at the end of the first period. We need a camera down there.

Moose tube

Friday night's Moose game from Grand Rapids against the Griffins will be televised live on MTS TV on Channel 1 beginning at 6 p.m.

Next

Moose at the Grand Rapids Griffins, Friday at Van Andel Arena, 6 p.m. (CJOB).

-- Gary Lawless