Fast Facts: Moose at Abbotsford – April 2

The Manitoba Moose head out for one of their final road trips of the season this week. The swing features a pair of games against the Abbotsford Canucks. The two teams open their set tonight at 9 p.m. CT. The Moose wrapped up their homestand by grabbing three of four points from the Toronto Marlies courtesy of a 4-3 victory on Friday. The Canucks come in having won three straight after a sweep down in Colorado. Manitoba and Abbotsford split their back-to-back series in Winnipeg last week. Coverage of tonight's matchup gets going at 8:45 p.m. CT on CJOB.com/sports, the Winnipeg Jets App and AHLTV.

Brad to the Bone

Brad Lambert is the AHL’s Rookie of the Month for March. Lambert, 20, was third in the AHL with 18 points (4G, 14A) in 13 games while helping the Moose to a 10-3-1 record in March. Lambert’s 14 assists led the AHL this past month, with eight of those helpers logged as the primary assist. The Lahti, Finland product recorded 14 (4G, 10A) of his 18 points at even strength and finished the month with a plus-four rating. The 2022 Winnipeg Jets first round pick leads the Moose in scoring and ranks second among AHL rookies with 49 points (19G, 30A). His 30 assists are tied for second among first-year skaters and his 19 goals are seventh among the group.

Finnish the Month Strong

Henri Nikkanen set a new career-high mark with his sixth goal of the campaign in Friday’s win over Toronto. The centreman, a 2019 Winnipeg Jets fourth round selection, has tallied 10 points (6G, 4A) over the course of 48 contests. All of the Mikkeli, Finland native’s point production this season came in March. Through the month, Nikkanen recorded three multi-point outings, including his second career three-point contest, in a 6-2 victory over Texas. His six goals tied him for second on the squad and his plus-seven rating landed him fourth.  Nikkanen, who inked a three-year entry-level contract with Winnipeg in 2022, has recorded 26 points (11G, 15A) in 118 career AHL games.

Taking the Show on the Road

Manitoba’s two-game set in Abbotsford is the penultimate road trip of the campaign. Manitoba has an 18-12-0-1 record away from Canada Life Centre, which translates to a .597 winning percentage. Among Central Division teams, only Milwaukee and Rockford have produced better road records. The Moose have recorded 37 of their 61 points, or 61 percent, on the road. When the Moose tally between four and six goals on the road, the club sports a combined 11-0-0-0 record. On the defensive side of the puck, when Manitoba allows three goals or less, the team boasts a mark of 15-1-0-0. Brad Lambert leads Manitoba in road scoring and has produced 28 points (11G, 17A) in 29 contests.

Roster Moves

The Moose announced the team recalled forward Mark Liwiski from the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals. Liwiski made his AHL debut on Feb. 3 in Rockford against the IceHogs and recorded two penalty minutes. The forward has tallied 25 points (11G, 14A) along with 310 penalty minutes in 54 games with the Admirals this season. The Dauphin, Man. product has 42 career points (21G, 21A) in 121 ECHL contests split between Wichita and Norfolk.

Who's Trending?

Kyle Capobianco scored his 10th goal of the season against Toronto on Friday. The tally ties a previous career-high from 2019-20. Capobianco ranks second on the Moose in scoring with 46 points (10G, 36A) in 61 contests. Capobianco paces all AHL defenders in scoring and his 0.75 points-per game mark is second among all Moose skaters.