Moose and IceHogs collide in series finale

For the eighth and final time this season, the Manitoba Moose (23-32-4-5) duke it out with the Rockford IceHogs (22-30-9-3) tonight at 7 p.m. CT inside the MTS Centre.

Last Game
A defensive battle between the clubs saw zeros on the board through 40 minutes. Chase De Leo and Kyle Baun scored in regulation while Anthony Louis tallied in the shootout to lift Rockford to a 2-1 victory. Jamie Phillips finished the night with 31 saves for the Moose while Jeff Glass stopped 37 shots.

Flash Back
Today’s game is the final meeting between these divisional foes. Through seven contests the Moose hold a 3-2-0-2 record vs. the IceHogs. Prior to Friday’s game, Rockford and Manitoba last met on Feb. 28/Mar. 3 in Illinois where the Moose emerged with two 5-3 victories. Game one featured three point (1G, 2A) performances from Kyle Connor and Peter Stoykewych while the second contest saw the Moose get goals from five different players and first-year goaltender Jamie Phillips made 32 saves on route to his first AHL victory.

Back on the Board
Chase De Leo snapped an eight-game goalless drought last night. The forward also tallied a season-high six shots on goal to lead the Moose in that category. De Leo's goal was his 13th of the season and 29th point. The second-year forward is currently fourth in scoring on the Moose

Helping Hand
With his assist in Friday’s game, Scott Kosmachuk now has points in three straight games, totaling three points (0G, 3A). Thanks to his streak, Kosmachuk now has 15 assists on the season and is two away from matching the career high of 17 helpers he totaled a year ago. The Toronto, ON winger is tied for fifth on the team with 24 points (9G, 15A).

Rockford’s Story
The IceHogs come into tonight’s tilt losers of seven of their last eight and sit seventh in the Central Division standings. Manitoba will hope to continue their offensive run as Rockford has allowed the fourth most goals in the league (205). After the NHL’s trade deadline saw Rockford lose three of their top scorers, Kyle Baun leads the IceHogs with 29 points (13G, 16A) in 62 games.

What’s Next?
The Moose enter their final two-game set of their eight-game home stand when they welcome the Milwaukee Admirals to downtown Winnipeg for the first time this season on Friday night (Mar. 23). Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. CT.