Baumgartner is back in Mooseland and will join his teammates on the ice for a critical Game 4 tonight at MTS Centre against the Syracuse Crunch. Syracuse leads the best-of-seven North Division semifinal two games to one.
"Being in Dallas and being a part of the Stanley Cup playoffs was a great experience. All players want that but you want to play. I haven't played in the playoffs in two years and you never know how many chances you're going to get," said Baumgartner, who upon his recall to the Dallas Stars two weeks ago, made it clear that if given the chance he'd return to the Moose and do so with zeal. "I've been keeping tabs on this series and talking to (Mike Keane) almost every day. I'm ready to go and hopefully I can help us get back in this series."
Baumgartner's wife remained in Winnipeg during his two-week stay with the Stars and all along there was hope, from both the player and the Moose front office, that he'd be back to help Manitoba in its playoff run.
"I came here at the deadline and I was able to rejuvenate myself," said Baumgartner. "I've always been treated very well by this organization. My wife is originally from San Diego and I'm from Calgary. But we owned a house here before.
"I'd say I've played some of my best hockey here. I've been treated very well here by the whole management and staff that work with the Moose and it's what every hockey player wants."
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Sniper Jason Jaffray works on tip drill at Gateway Arena. (Ken Gigliotti / Winnipeg Free Press ) |
The Moose will immediately insert Baumgartner into the lineup paired with defenceman Danny Groulx. They'll see power-play and penalty- killing action as well as key 5-on-5 matchups.
For Baumgartner, being parachuted into the Moose lineup during a playoff series is not unfamiliar. In 2003, he met the Moose in Hamilton for a Game 7, just a day after being eliminated with the rest of the Vancouver Canucks from the Stanley Cup playoffs. That rescue mission didn't go very well as the Moose lost 3-2.
"That's a tough situation. You come in for a Game 7 and it's win or you're out," said Baumgartner, who helped the Moose to 14 wins in the 18 games he suited up for after being loaned to Manitoba by the Stars at the trade deadline.
"I'm better prepared for this kind of siuation. It's just experience."
gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca
Series at a glance
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Manitoba Moose vs. Syracuse Crunch (Syracuse leads best-of-seven North Division semifinal 2-1)
So far: All three games have gone to overtime, with the Crunch winning Game 1 on home ice, the Moose winning Game 2 in Syracuse and the Crunch grabbing Game 3 in Winnipeg.
The skinny: No room for mistakes in this series. The Moose will get a boost from the return of defenceman Nolan Baumgartner and sniper Jason Jaffray. The Crunch will counter with the addition of defenceman Dan Smith. Manitoba has to play its team game to perfection. The Crunch would like to make this an up-tempo, high-scoring affair.
The task: The next two games are scheduled for MTS Centre and, if needed, games 6 and 7 are set for Syracuse. Manitoba can't afford another home loss. If they get to Syracuse, winning one game will be tough enough, making victories in games 4 and 5 a must for the Moose.
Who to watch: Syracuse's Gilbert Brule can skate and hit. The Crunch blue-line is mobile and aggressive. Moose captain Mike Keane is having a fine series and rookie Michael Grabner has scored a pair of big goals.
The storylines: Crunch coach Ross Yates has altered strategies and put the handcuffs on his bad boys. Syracuse came into this series talking about intimidation but have adjusted nicely to Manitoba's unwillingness to step into the alley. Crunch goalie Karl Goehring has been brilliant and if the Moose can't get some traffic in the Syracuse slot, they won't score. Moose rookie Cory Schneider continues to be his club's best player.
The schedule:
Game 4 - Tonight, Crunch at Moose, 7:30 p.m.
Game 5 - Saturday, April 26, Crunch at Moose, 7:30 p.m.
Game 6 - Monday, April 28, Moose at Crunch, 6 p.m. (if necessary)
Game 7 - Tuesday, April 29, Moose at Crunch, 6 p.m. (if necessary)
-- Lawless