Preview: Moose at Colorado – Dec. 17

Moose at Colorado – Budweiser Events Centre – 8:05 p.m. CT
Broadcast: moosehockey.com/listenlive, AHLTV

The Moose have left the Lone Star State behind them after picking up one win in three games in Texas. After departing San Antonio with a win, the Moose traveled to the site of tonight's matchup, Loveland, Col. The two locations are separated by 1,321 metres in elevation with Loveland sitting 1,519 metres above sea level. With that comes the advantage the Colorado Eagles and their parent-NHL team, the Avalanche, enjoy on home ice. That thin mountain air has been a challenge for many a hockey team to face either team.

All that said, the Moose fared well in their previous visit to Colorado. Last season saw the team pick up a 3-0 win and 3-2 overtime victory. The story of the first win was former Moose goaltender Ken Appleby traveling across the U.S., arriving just hours before the game and posting the shutout. Then Tucker Poolman scoring twice, including the overtime winner the next night.

The Moose are undefeated against the Eagles in the franchise's young tenure as an AHL team. Manitoba rattled off four wins, including those previously mentioned, while allowing just three goals against in the season series. All those games came as part of Manitoba's brilliant second-half push last season.

Both teams come into the matchup after snapping losing skids. The Moose halted their three-game slide with a 4-2 victory in San Antonio. Meanwhile the Eagles cut off a five-game skid with a 3-1 win against the San Diego Gulls. JC Lipon racked up three points (1G, 2A) and Kristian Reichel scored the game winner as the Moose held on for their win. Mikhail Berdin made 22 saves in the third, and 41 stops overall to help secure the win. C.J. Suess (shorthanded) and Emile Poirier (empty net) each tallied as well.

Forward Derek Hulak picked up an assist in Saturday's win, helping out on Reichel's winner. The point pushed Hulak to the century mark in his career. The Saskatoon, Sask. felt the win was a continuation of some of the good things the Moose put together during a pair of losses to the Texas Stars.

"I thought we played another solid game. In the third period we could have cleaned a few things up," said Hulak. "We just kind of carried over, even though we lost, a little bit of the momentum from how we played in Texas. We know that if we work hard and stick to our systems we have a group here that can win a lot of hockey games. So we just did the little things right and found a way to win."

The next two games are the end of a road heavy month for the Moose. The team will have played 12 of its last 14 games away from Bell MTS Place, and has only been home six days since Nov. 19. By the end of Wednesday's contest, the Moose will have already played half their road games for the season... in just 31 games. With the grind in its final stages, forward Brent Pedersen knows the Moose will need to keep their game straightforward.

"I just think we need to have a big start. Start by working hard and playing the right way," commented Pedersen. "We're coming to the end of a long road trip. We've been on the road a lot this month so I think we're just going to have to keep things simple and take lots of shots."

The Moose and Eagles drop the puck at 8:05 p.m. CT this evening. Coverage of the game on moosehockey.com/listenlive and AHLTV begins at 7:45.