Moose look for revenge in Cleveland

The Manitoba Moose return to action this afternoon as they close out a two-game set against the Cleveland Monsters at 2 p.m. CT.

Last Game
After falling to Grand Rapids on Wednesday (Feb. 8), Manitoba looked to get back on track vs. Cleveland. However, the Monster dashed Manitoba’s hopes of two points as Cleveland skated to a 3-2 shootout victory. Manitoba captain Patrice Cormier led the charge against Cleveland - scoring both Moose goals. Eric Comrie was steady between the pipes making 29 saves. Kyle Connor netted his second shootout goal of the season.

Flash Back
Today’s game marks the sixth meeting of the season between these two clubs. Manitoba holds a 2-1-0-2 record against Cleveland with both wins coming in early November (Nov. 3, 5). On Nov. 3 Manitoba’s offense came alive, scoring seven goals on their way to a 7-3 win. Quinton Howden has been productive against Cleveland, registering five points (3G, 2A) in four games. 

Any Given Sunday
Today's matchup is the eighth time the Moose take part in a Sunday game. Manitoba holds a 4-3-0-0 record on Sundays this season. The Moose have actually come out of those contests with an even goal differential, scoring 17 while allowing 17. Following today's game in Cleveland, the Moose have four Sunday contests remaining on the schedule.

Terrific Trio
The combination of Patrice Cormier, JC Lipon and Kyle Connor was a productive one on Friday. The three combined for all of Manitoba's scoring with Lipon and Connor assisting on Cormier's goals. Connor also added the lone Manitoba goal in the shootout. The trio also contributed 10 of Manitoba's 41 shots in the contest. In four games in the month of February, Connor and Cormier each have four points (2G, 2A) to lead the Moose while Lipon has two points (2A).

Cleveland’s Story
After being shutout on back-to-back nights by Iowa (Feb. 3, 4), Cleveland has responded with three wins over Milwaukee, Iowa and Manioba. The Monsters rank fifth in the Central Division and are 6-3-1-0 in their last 10 contests. Cleveland’s PK has faired well this season, sitting fourt in the AHL at 84.8 per cent. T.J. Tynan leads the offense with 26 points (5G, 21A). Between the net is Joonas Korpisalo. In 14 games the Finnish prospect is among the sits with a 2.80 GAA and a .907 save percentage. Brad Thiessen is also an option between the pipes for the Monsters. In six games he has a GAA of 2.00 and a .928 save percentage.

What’s Next?
The Moose head back to Grand Rapids for a rare morning game on Wednesday (Feb. 14) as they pay a visit to the Griffins at 10 a.m. CT. You can listen to all Manitoba Moose road games on moosehockey.com/listenlive. Make sure to tune in 15 minutes early to catch the pre-game show with Mitch Peacock for all the latest Moose news.