Fast Facts: Moose vs. Grand Rapids – Jan. 19

The Manitoba Moose welcome the Grand Rapids to Canada Life Centre tonight (7 p.m. CT) as the Moose open a four-game homestand. The Moose are coming off a 4-1 loss to Laval to wrap up a quick three-game run through Eastern Canada. The Griffins also seek a return to the win column after falling 3-2 in overtime on Saturday in Rockford. Tickets for tonight's 7 p.m. puck drop are available at MooseHockey.com/TICKETS.

Points on the Board

C.J. Suess tallied an assist in Manitoba’s most recent outing. The forward, a 2014 fifth round Winnipeg selection, is currently riding a two-game point streak, his longest of the season, and has two points
(1G, 1A) over that span. The forward has notched eight points (4G, 4A) in 30 games this season and is tied for 10th in Moose scoring. Suess has also recorded one power play marker and has scored goals on the man-advantage in every AHL season he’s played in since 2018-19. Additionally, the Forest Lake, Minn. product has tallied three game-winning goals on the season and co-leads the Moose in that department.

Central Division Showdown

Manitoba’s next 11 straight games are all against fellow teams that make up the AHL’s Central Division. Over this upcoming run, the Moose face Grand Rapids four times, Chicago and Rockford three each and Milwaukee once. Entering game 33 of the campaign, the Moose have faced Central Division opponents 17 times and produced a mark of 8-10-0-0. When facing a team in the Central Division, the Moose are led in points by defenceman Kyle Capobianco with 20 points (6G, 14A).The forward ranks are paced by Jeff Malott (6G, 10A) and Nikita Chibrikov (5G, 11A) who each have 16 points.

Back on Patrol

Ville Heinola suited up for the Moose for his first game of the 2023-24 campaign. The defenceman recorded a primary assist in Manitoba’s loss against Laval. Heinola finished the contest with the assist, four penalty minutes and one shot on goal. The Honkajoki, Finland native also chased down a milestone with the helper and moved into sole possession of 12th on the franchise’s all-time points list for defencemen. He sits just four points back of matching fellow Finnish defender Sami Niku for 10th on the list. The defenceman has produced 76 points (13G, 63A) over 112 career contests with Manitoba.

Season Trends

Over the course of the 2023-24 campaign, when Manitoba is tied after the first period of play, the record stands at 8-3-0-0. If the Moose hold a lead after 40 minutes of play, the organization can boast a mark of 7-0-0-0. When Manitoba is able to hold its opponent to two goals against or less, the club sports a combined mark of 4-1-0-0. The Moose also hold a winning record of 6-3-0-0 in one-goal contests.

Who's Trending?

Kristian Reichel scored a goal in Laval against the Rocket on Saturday. The forward, who re-signed a two-year deal with Winnipeg in 2022, has recorded eight points (5G, 3A) over his past 13 contests. The Litvinov, Czech Republic product is one of five Moose this season to record a shorthanded marker and has five total over the past three seasons.