The Manitoba Moose didn’t waste much time proving their early-season scoring binge wasn’t just a product of soft matchups.
After spotting Texas a 2-0 lead through one period, Manitoba stormed back with three goals in the second and four more in the third to take a 7-4 win and move to 4-1-0. The result pushed the Moose to 25 goals in five games, a 5.0-per-game clip after averaging 2.57 last season.
Texas opened the scoring on a turnover, with Artem Shlaine burying a sharp shot to make it 1-0. The Stars added to it on the power play when Shlaine found Dylan Hryckowian, who had plenty of room to make it 2-0 before the period was out.
Manitoba’s response came in waves. Early in the second, Brayden Yager drove hard to the net and Lucas Wahlin finished the play for the first of what would become a career night. A few minutes later, Wahlin helped create another chance by charging the crease, and Nikita Chibrikov finished with a no-look spin-o-rama to pull the Moose even.
Barely a minute later, Alfons Freij delivered the go-ahead goal with a clean snipe, his second of the season, and Manitoba took a 3-2 edge into the intermission.
Texas answered quickly in the third to tie it again, but the Moose never lost their footing. On the power play, Yager ripped one home to restore the lead, then Colby Barlow added another to make it 5-3. Jacob Julien picked up the primary assist, with Henry Thrun also earning a helper.
Wahlin then capped his big night by winning a puck battle in the Texas zone and setting up Yager for his second goal of the game, pushing the lead to 6-3. Mike Sgarbossa later scored against his former club for the Stars, and Danny Zhilkin closed it out for Manitoba with an empty-netter from long range.
Wahlin finished with four points, Yager had a multi-goal night, and Domenic DiVincentiis made 30 saves to seal it. The Moose have now kept the same forward lines and defense pairs for five straight games, with the only lineup change coming in goal, where DiVincentiis got the start.
After the game, Manitoba is scheduled to practice Saturday at 11:30 AM CT ahead of Sunday’s matinee rematch with Texas.
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Perfettis start has been especially encouraging because it has come right as the Jets are trying to establish an early-season rhythm around their younger core. The production has been steady and noticeable through eight games, and if this level of play keeps up, Winnipegs bet on him is going to look better and better long before the season reaches its midpoint. [Read more 🡒]