Game Story

The Manitoba Moose (35-29-5-3) scored their 35th win of the season by claiming a 6-1 victory over the Iowa Wild (27-36-6-3) at Casey’s Center on Friday night. They were coming off a 3-2 shootout loss to the Wild on Friday.

Both Domenic DiVincentiis and Chase Wutzke held the opposing offences largely at bay in the first, with the game’s first goal needing nearly 19 minutes to finally happen. Oskar Olausson polished off a nice passing play on a Wild power play, putting Iowa up 1-0 at 18:40 into the first period. Wutzke stopped nine shots in the frame, and DiVincentiis turned away 11.

Manitoba unlocked its offence in the second, with the rookies leading the charge. Jacob Julien didn’t get everything he wanted on his shot at 3:27, but it fooled Wutzke, and the game was tied at 1-1. Colby Barlow picked the pocket of an Iowa defender, and outwaited Wutzke, tucking the go-ahead marker into the open cage at 5:08 to give the visitors a 2-1 lead. Three minutes later, he took a feed from Parker Ford, and snapped it into the net to make it 3-1. Ford got in on the action himself, scoring on a rebound after Phil Di Giuseppe drove the net, and just like that, the Moose were up 4-1. DiVincentiis wasn’t busy in the Moose goal, as Manitoba owned a 16-3 edge on the shot clock.

The breakneck pace slowed a touch in the third, but the Moose tightened their grip on their advantage. They outshot Iowa 12-3 in the stanza, with Phil Di Giuseppe adding a shorthanded marker at 14:14, ripping a shot past Wutzke. Lucas Wahlin padded the lead in the late going, banking the puck into the net off Wutzke’s skates. Manitoba held onto its 6-1 lead for the victory in the regular season finale.

Quotable

Moose forward Phil Di Giuseppe
“We were just focused on ending the season on a high note. We played a pretty good game on Friday, but it was good to play a game where there was something at stake. It was a good effort from our group.”

Statbook

• The Moose recorded at least a point in each of their final five games of the season (3-0-0-2)
• Phil Di Giuseppe scored his fourth shorthanded goal of the season, good for second on the team
• Di Giuseppe played his 400th career AHL game
• Manitoba scored its 12th shorthanded goal, tied for the second most in the AHL
• Tyrel Bauer recorded an assist in his first game since April 4
• The Moose will finish fourth in the Central Division