Mason Shaw said it best. 

“We’ve been in this spot before.” 

The Manitoba Moose fell 4-2 in Grand Rapids on Wednesday night, as the Griffins claimed a 2-1 edge in the best-of-five Central Division Semifinals. Manitoba fell behind 3-0 before staging a comeback attempt in the third period.  

Mason Shaw deflected a point shot past Michal Postava late in the second period, and Samuel Fagemo cut the Grand Rapids’ advantage to 3-2 with a rocket one-timer with 3:12 remaining in the game. The Moose pressed for an equalizer, but Carter Mazur iced the game with an empty-net tally. 

Manitoba faces elimination for the third time when the puck drops on Game 4 on Friday night at Van Andel Arena. The Moose posted a pair of 2-1 victories with their backs pressed against the proverbial wall in the First Round, downing the Milwaukee Admirals 2-1 in their best-of-three series. 

Regardless of the scenario, the Moose hold a sense of belief they can dig themselves out of the hole. 

“That’s just how they are; they’re resilient,” said head coach Mark Morrison of the players in the locker room. “They keep coming back. Part of it is that they know we’re right there. They’re not going to quit. They’re not going away.” 

Among the keys to success for the Moose is solving the tight Griffins’ defence. Grand Rapids built a wall in the defensive end on Wednesday, blocking shots with regularity. 

“They do a really good job,” said Shaw. “It’s one of those things where we’ve got to stick with it and find ways to get [shots] through. It’s just a matter of moving our feet to create shot lanes, but at the same time, that’s a really hard task against these guys. If we want to have success, that’s one way to get it, through point shots and getting to the net. We’ve got to find a way to break through in Game 4.” 

They also know the first goal on Friday is a big one. 

“If we can write the script before the game, we would love to get it,” Shaw said. “Getting that first goal would be huge come Game 4. But at the same time, we can’t take that first goal if it goes either way as a win or a loss. Whatever happens, there’s still a lot of game left. I expect us to come out with a tremendous start in the next game and ultimately, really push for that first goal because these games have been so tight.” 

Win or go home, that’s Manitoba’s reality. They’ve been in this spot before, and the sense of calm sweeping through the room isn’t new, either.  

“Stick to it,” Fagemo explained. “Pressure mounts here, but at the same time, we are such a tight group and just going to be calm with it and stay patient.” 

Game 4 goes at 6 p.m. CT on Friday night. If necessary, a deciding Game 5 would be played on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT. You can follow along while the Moose are on the road on 680 CJOB and with AHLTV on FloHockey. Pre-game coverage of Friday’s Game 4 on cjob.com begins at 5:45 p.m. CT.