Preview: Moose vs. Rockford – Dec. 29

Moose vs. Rockford – Bell MTS Place – 2 p.m. CT
Broadcast: moosehockey.com/listenlive, AHLTV

After a week off game action for the holidays, the Moose are ready to get back at it in an afternoon matchup against the Rockford IceHogs. The Moose stumbled into the break with a 3-7-0-0 record. That mark was due in part to a recent 1-4-0-0 road trip that closed off a stretch of the team playing 12 of 14 games on the road. Now the club gets to enjoy a stretch playing 10 of 13 at Bell MTS Place.

The Moose lead off that run with a six-game home stand. They opened with a split against the San Antonio Rampage to wrap up the pre-holiday schedule. Seth Griffith was nearly unstoppable during the weekend back-to-back. He tallied five goals in the pair of games and has eight points (6G, 2A) during a four-game point streak. After winning 6-4 on Dec. 21, the Moose looked poised to pick up at least another point until Nathan Walker scored with 1:41 remaining in regulation. San Antonio added a power play goal with 17 seconds left to close out a 4-2 Rampage win.

The Moose got good news on the injury-front over the break. Both defenceman Sami Niku and forward Ryan White are available to the club after extended absences. Niku last played on Nov. 27, and has played just 16 games. White previously appeared on Nov. 2 and has only played six of 33 games on the campaign. Niku certainly adds an offensive threat to the back-end and power play. The Finnish defender has 12 points (3G, 9A), and despite his lack of action this season, is still third among Manitoba defenders in scoring. Niku is ready to go and can't wait to get back into game action.

"It feels really good to be back and I'm excited to play on Sunday," Niku said following practice on Friday. "All I want to do is play so it's tough to watch and especially when the team isn't playing so good. You just want to help the team to win some games."

The IceHogs come in with a roster that has been picked over by the Chicago Blackhawks. Skaters including John Quenneville, Dylan Sikura, Matthew Highmore and Adam Boqvist are all with the big club. Rockford sits third in the Central Division with a five-point edge on the Moose. The IceHogs have played the least amount of games in the division, and are one of just six teams outside the Pacific Division to have only played 30 games so far. The visitors are coming off a 6-2 loss at the hands of the Iowa Wild on Friday.

Puck drop today is 2 p.m. at Bell MTS Place. Tickets are available at moosehockey.com/tickets. Coverage of today's game on moosehockey.com/listenlive and AHLTV begins at 1 p.m. with Moose Weekly hosted by Austin Siragusa.

The two teams will clash again in the annual New Year's Eve game at Bell MTS Place. Tickets are limited, so be sure to snag yours early at moosehockey.com/tickets. It's also the Shutout Hunger food drive in support of Winnipeg Harvest. So be sure to bring non-perishable food items on Tuesday.