Nathan McIver had hung his head long enough by Tuesday afternoon and, when he got to talking to teammate Rick Rypien, they found a way to wipe out the disappointment of missing the Stanley Cup playoffs.

"Sure, it's disappointing and I was looking forward to playing in an NHL playoff game but it didn't work out," said McIver, fresh off a skate with the Manitoba Moose on Wednesday morning in Winnipeg. "But (Rypien) and I were talking on the way back from Vancouver. Neither of us have won anything before and this is our chance. We've got a good team here and it's a great group of guys. You can't dwell on what happened in Vancouver. That's over and we've been sent back here. We want to take advantage of this opportunity."

McIver, Rypien and rookie defenceman Luc Bourdon were assigned to Manitoba on Tuesday by the Vancouver Canucks. Still in Vancouver is injured winger Mason Raymond, who is also expected to join the Moose when deemed healthy.

The Moose left Winnipeg Wednesday afternoon and travelled to Grand Rapids where they'll play games Friday and Saturday against the Griffins before winding up the regular season in Toronto against the Marlies on Sunday.

The team will then return to Winnipeg and begin the AHL playoffs late next week against the Syracuse Crunch.

Manitoba sits second in the North Division with 96 points and three games remaining while the Crunch are third with 94 points and three games left.

If the Moose can win two of their next three they'll close out the Crunch and gain home-ice advantage in the first round.

Moose coach Scott Arniel was glad to see the reinforcements arrive in Winnipeg.

"It's good to have them back in the fold. We were able to have a skate with them (Wednesday) and we'll skate again (today) in Grand Rapids. We were able to work on some power-play stuff and work them into some lines. We've got three games to go here and it's good to be able to work them back in," said Arniel.

Syracuse likes to play a physical style and Rypien and McIver will immediately puff up Manitoba's toughness quotient.

"If you look at our season series with Syracuse, the games have all been physical. Their building can be tough to play in and these guys add some stiffness to our lineup," said Arniel. "Intimidation can be a factor at times and it's good to have guys in your lineup that will bite back."

Rypien says the crash in Vancouver that saw the Canucks miss a playoff spot has to be pushed aside.

"Oh, it's definitely disappointing. It's still pretty quiet up there in Vancouver," said Rypien. "We were hoping to do more. But we've been sent here now and it's time to play here. It's the playoffs and we've got a chance to go deep into the playoffs. That's what we're looking forward to."

For Bourdon, the playoffs offer a chance to continue his progression as a pro.

"I've played a lot when I was here earlier in the season and then played less and tried to watch and learn when I was in Vancouver," said Bourdon. "But the playoffs are the time to use what you've learned and play right and play hard. We know we have a good team here. They've been hot for a while and now with us three coming back and maybe Mason (Raymond), it can't hurt. We can't look too far forward but we also have to play with the knowledge and confidence that we're a good team."

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.caKeeping up with the Jones

The Manitoba Moose got a booster shot Tuesday when they received Luc Bourdon, Rick Rypien and Nathan McIver from the Vancouver Canucks. But the Moose weren't the only club to get helping hand from their NHL affiliate and the influx of talent makes a number of clubs better. Here's a look at some additives to the AHL playoff stew:

Manitoba Moose

"ö Rypien provides pure aggression. McIver is a steady and physical presence on the blue-line while rookie Bourdon is the wild card capable of being an offensive force or a mistake-prone kid.

Syracuse Crunch

"ö Derek MacKenzie F, Joakim Lindstrom F, Gilbert Brule F, Zenon Konopka F

These four give the Crunch all kinds of added punch up front. Syracuse likes to mix it up and if an opponent gets undisciplined and takes penalties, this bunch could be poison on the power play.

Chicago Wolves

"ö Boris Valabik D, Bryan Little F, Joel Kwiatkowski D

The league's best offence just got better. Lots of options on the power play and overall depth. The Wolves could be scary.

Toronto Marlies

"ö Jiri Tlusty F, Kris Newbury F, Staffan Kronwall D

More offensive firepower and a dash of grit. Tlusty and Kronwall are power play threats while Newberry can be a nasty piece of business.

Rockford IceHogs

"ö Corey Crawford G, Kris Versteeg F, Jordan Hendry D, Dave Bolland F

Crawford will step in and take the No. 1 job from Wade Flaherty while Hendry is a reliable defender. Bolland and Versteeg will provide offence.

-- Lawless