Moose open set with Marlies
By: Manitoba Moose Staff | Published: February 17th 2017
The Manitoba Moose (19-24-3-3) head into the final leg of a six–game road trip tonight when they take on the Toronto Marlies (24-22-3-1) at 6 p.m. CT.
Last Game
Manitoba’s most recent outing came on Wednesday (Feb. 17) in a rare morning puck drop at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI. The Moose broke out for five goals but it wasn’t enough as the Griffins outpaced the Moose for a 7-5 win. Patrice Cormier led Manitoba with two goals while Chase De Leo, Jimmy Lodge and Scott Glennie had the other markers. Jack Roslovic found the score sheet, chipping in two assists.
Flash Back
This is the fifth chapter of the all-Canadian matchup between the Moose and Marlies. Manitoba is 1-3-0-0 against their Canadian counterpart this season with their lone victory coming on Jan. 3 in a 2-1 fashion. Chase De Leo was productive during the last two game set with the Marlies, scoring a goal in both games on Jan. 3 and 5.
Shots from Everyone
It was a balanced attack from the Moose on Wednesday as all but one of their 18 skaters had a shot on goal. 13 of those skaters had at least two shots. Patrice Cormier and Brian Strait led the way with four each as part of the 39 shot total.
Breaking Out
Manitoba's five-goal output in Grand Rapids was an outlier from recent games. In their first 21 games, the Moose posted five or more goals six times. In the 28 games since then, Wednesday's contest was the only time Manitoba tallied five goals. The Moose are averaging 2.49 goals per game.
Toronto’s Story
The Toronto’s Maple Leafs’ affiliate enters this weekend’s series losers in two of their last three games. Through 50 games the Marlies sit third in the North Division behind Albany and Syracuse. Scoring goals is something Toronto does well as they lead the division with 154 goals. A pair of Manitoban’s are at the top of Toronto’s stat sheet. Winnipeg’s Brendan Leipsec leads Toronto with 38 points in 34 games despite being out with injury since Jan. 22. Winkler, MB product Byron Froese is right behind with 37 points through 47 contests. Toronto’s powerplay is something the Moose will have to avoid. The Marlies have the AHL’s third ranked PP, operating at 24.1 per cent.
What’s Next?
The Moose wrap up their six-game road trip tomorrow afternoon with another matchup against the Marlies at 2 p.m. CT. You can listen to all Manitoba Moose road games at moosehockey.com/listenlive. Make sure to tune in 15 minutes before puck drop to hear the pre-game show with Mitch Peacock for all the latest Moose news.
