Moose and Monsters to battle in Cleveland

For the first time this season, the Manitoba Moose (18-23-3-2) head down to Cleveland, OH for a battle against the Monsters (22-18-2-3) at 6 p.m. CT.

Last Game
The Moose kicked off their six-game road trip on Wednesday night in Grand Rapids, MI against the Griffins. Things were off to a good start for Manitoba as they jumped out to an early 1-0 lead courtesy of Scott Kosmachuk. Brandon Tanev chipped in an assist in his first game back with the Moose after a stint with the Jets. The first place Griffins impressed as the game continued, potting four goals including two powerplay markers on their way to a 4-1 win over Manitoba. Eric Comrie was busy on Wednesday, making 33 saves in a losing effort.

Flash Back
Tonight’s game marks the fifth meeting of the season between these two clubs. Manitoba holds a 2-1-0-1 record over 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.

Welcome Back
Brandon Tanev wasted no time making a contribution upon his return to the Moose lineup. 3:46 into Wednesday’s affair, Tanev picked up an assist on Scott Kosmachuk's opening goal. The Providence College product has four points (1G, 3A) in seven games with the Moose this season. He was re-assigned to Manitoba by the Winnipeg Jets on Feb. 7.

Home State
Tonight's game will be Jack Roslovic's first professional appearance in his home state of Ohio. The Columbus, OH native has five points (2G, 3A) against the Monsters, his hometown NHL team's AHL affiliate, in four games of the season series. A first round pick of the Jets in 2015, Roslovic played his college hockey in Ohio at Miami University last season.

Cleveland’s Story
After being shutout on back-to-back nights by Iowa (Feb. 3, 4), Cleveland has responded with two wins over Milwaukee and Iowa. The Monsters rank fifth in the Central Division and are 5-4-0-1 in their last 10 contests. Cleveland’s PK has faired well this season, ranking fifth in the AHL at 84.5 per cent. Sonny Milano and T.J. Tynan lead the offense with 25 points (11G, 14A and 5G, 20A), respectively. Between the net is Joonas Korpisalo. In 13 games the Finnish prospect is among the sits with a 2.89 GAA and a .902 save percentage. Brad Thiessen is also an option between the pipes for the Monsters. In six games he had a GAA of 2.00 and a .928 save percentage.

What’s Next?
The Moose will have a day to ponder tonight’s result before getting back into action Sunday afternoon when Manitoba closes this series in Cleveland at 2 p.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.