TORONTO -- Needing a win on the final day of the regular season to try and gain home-ice advantage in the first round of the AHL playoffs, Scott Arniel tipped his hand.
Less than 24 hours after using rookie goalie Cory Schneider in an overtime loss to the Grand Rapids Griffins, the coach tapped the Boston College alum again, leaving fourth-year man Drew MacIntyre on the bench.
Schneider proved solid as the Moose earned a 4-3 win over the Toronto Marlies before 6,719 watchers at Ricoh Coliseum.
The win ended a two-game losing streak but was not enough to push the Moose back into second place in the North Division as the Syracuse Crunch also grabbed a win. The Moose ended the regular season 46-27-3-4 for 99 points while the Crunch wound up with 100 points and will hold home-ice advantage in their North semi best-of-seven series with Manitoba.
Arniel isn't offering confirmation but it's almost a certainty that Schneider, and not MacIntyre, will get the start in Game 1 this Friday in Syracuse.
"I thought Cory played well (Saturday) against Grand Rapids and deserved better so I decided to come back with him," offered Arniel. "His record against Toronto this season has been excellent (4-0) and that played a factor."
Pushed on the subject of who will start on Friday, Arniel laughed and said he'd think it over and make a call later in the week.
"If we get to the second round and play Toronto, Cory will be the starter," said Arniel, a smile on his face but with just enough edge in his voice to convey that the subject was closed for now.
Arniel's club couldn't find their legs earlier this weekend and dropped a pair of games to a non-playoff team in Grand Rapids.
"We had a long bus ride last night and there was lots of frustration among the guys over the two losses," said Arniel. "Toronto was playing for the conference title and there was lots on the line in this game.
"We got off to a good start and then slugged it out from there. It was a well-fought game and I'm happy with the way the guys responded."
Arniel took a few minutes after the game to talk about the season with his club before opening the door to the media.
"I just told them that in my 23 years in pro hockey, I'd never seen anything like this with all the changes we had to go through," said the second-year head coach. "I'm proud of what we accomplished and how we stuck together."
Schneider has now won 13 of his last 16 games while his counterpart MacIntyre has struggled and not won a game in three starts.
"(Arniel) told me before we got on the bus to leave Grand Rapids that I'd be playing. I was a little surprised but I've fared pretty well against Toronto this season," said Schneider.
"He could have picked either one of us. I'm just glad he picked me and we won."
The redhead rookie from Marblehead, Mass., says he'll be ready if he gets the call on Friday.
"He has a choice to make and Drew has a little more experience than me," said Schneider.
"Whoever he decides to go with will be fine with me. I'm just going to do whatever I have to in order to be ready and I'll try to help the team in either role. The second half of the season I've really turned it up and I'm feeling good. I'm stopping the puck and making the tough saves."
The Moose were scheduled to return to Winnipeg on Sunday night and will leave for Syracuse on Thursday.
gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca
Highlight
REEL
Moose 4 Marlies 3
First Period
Brad Moran takes a sharp pass from Alex Bolduc and whips it by Marlies goalie Scott Clemmensen just two minutes into the first period. Jannik Hansen adds another for the Moose as he comes off the wall and hammers a slapshot that Clemmensen looks at but doesn't stop. Toronto climbs into the game as John Mitchell beats Cory Schneider with a heater from just inside the blue-line.
Moose 2 Marlies 1
Second Period
Greg Classen pots his 10th of the year, a short-handed goal, as he smacks a rebound off a Greg Rallo shot into the Toronto net.
Moose 3 Marlies 1
Third Period
Schneider mishandles a puck behind his own net and flips it right into his own slot where Alex Foster is waiting to knock the disc into the net. The Marlies pull even at the midpoint of the period as David Ling wires a shot top-shelf. The Marlies take two foolish penalties, roughing and then a bench minor all at once, and Max Fortunus puts the Moose ahead for good with a power-play goal.
Moose 4 Marlies 3
ICE CHIPS
To the road
Manitoba will open the post-season in Syracuse playing games Friday and Saturday in New York State before shifting to Winnipeg for Games 3, 4 and 5, if needed. Games 6 and 7 would be playing in Syracuse, if needed. Game 3 will go Tuesday, April 22.
Long day
The Moose boarded a bus following their game in Grand Rapids on Saturday night and rode to Toronto, arriving at 4 a.m. The club slept until 10 a.m. before waking for a pre-game meal. Three games in three nights with tough travel.
Fitz returns
Moose defenceman Zack Fitz Gerald played his first game since breaking his jaw on Feb. 24. The Minnesotan missed 21 games and wore a protective bar over the lower half of his face a well as the regular visor.
Rallo rocks
Greg Rallo, signed by the Moose under emergency circumstances, has been an excellent find. Rallo now has four goals and five assists in 19 games for the Moose and has worked well at all three forward positions.
Up next
Moose at Syracuse Crunch, Friday, War Memorial at Oncenter, 6:30 p.m. (CJOB)
-- Lawless