Game Story

The Manitoba Moose (31-26-5-1) reduced their ‘magic number’ to six points on Tuesday night, taking a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Marlies (32-23-5-5) at Coca-Cola Coliseum. They were coming off a 1-0 victory over the Belleville Senators on Saturday evening.

The Moose had three power play chances in the opening 20 minutes compared to one for the Marlies, but Toronto led on the shot clock 14-10. The game’s first goal came at 12:57, as Henry Thrun lifted a shot on the net which beat a screened Thomas Milic. Manitoba pushed back late in the stanza. At 18:31, Chase Yoder drove the net hard and pushed in his first AHL goal to tie the game 1-1 as the intermission loomed.

Manitoba was outshot 9-7 in the second, but they scored the go-ahead goal midway through. Nikita Chibrikov blasted a shot from the point, which deflected off a Marlies defender and past Artur Akhtyamov for a 2-1 Moose lead. Thomas Milic made nine stops in the period.

The Moose wasted no time in the third, growing their lead just 60 seconds into the frame. Jaret Anderson-Dolan spotted Toronto native Phil Di Giuseppe alone in front, before the veteran cashed in behind Akhtyamov for a 3-1 lead. With the penalty kill getting plenty of work in the frame, the Moose used it to generate some more offence. Walker Duehr ripped a one-timer into the net to make it 4-1 while short a man. The Manitoba penalty kill went on to turn away three Toronto chances in the period, including a pair of five-on-three opportunities. Anderson-Dolan potted an empty-netter in the dying minutes, as the Moose took a 5-1 victory in Toronto.

Quotable

Moose forward Chase Yoder (click for full interview)
“It feels great. I’ve been sniffing (my first goal). I’ve been all around it, nothing has really gone, but it was nice to get one tonight for sure.”

Statbook

• Milic’s 34 saves were his second-most in a single game this season
• He finishes March with a .929 save percentage and three shutouts
• Five Moose (Shaw, Chibrikov, Anderson-Dolan, Yager, and Di Giuseppe) recorded multiple points
• Brayden Yager and Phil Di Giuseppe finish March tied for the team lead with 10 points each