The Moose welcomed the Roadrunners to Winnipeg for their first face-off since the 2016-17 season. With a previous clash in Tucson earlier this season, the stage was set for an exciting series of games in Winnipeg.
Unfortunately, David Gustafsson remained sidelined due to injury.
Here's how the Moose lined up:
- JAD-Zhilkin-Fagemo
- Di Giuseppe-Yager-Chibrikov
- Shaw-Ford-Duehr
- Yoder-Julien-Barlow
Defensive pairings included:
- Sautner-Bauer
- Freij-Phillips
- Clague-Anhorn
Milic was in goal.
The game kicked off with a bang as Tyrel Bauer and Montana Onyebuchi, a Manitoban native, engaged in a heavyweight bout that set the tone for the night.
Jets prospect Alfons Freij, a 2024 second-round pick, made his debut in the antlers, looking to make an impact.
Jaret Anderson-Dolan opened the scoring for the Moose, marking the first goal against Tucson in Winnipeg in nine years. His tenth goal of the season came off a slick pass from Dylan Anhorn.
However, the second period was dominated by the Roadrunners, who outshot the Moose 15-5 and outscored them 2-0, taking a 2-1 lead into the break.
Walker Duehr brought the Moose back into the game early in the third, tying it 2-2 and delighting the Manitoban crowd with free pancakes. This marked his 14th goal of the season.
The Moose had a golden opportunity to level the score again when Brayden Yager won a board battle and set up Nikita Chibrikov, but the chance slipped away. This proved costly as Austin Poganski, a former Jets/Moose forward, extended the Roadrunners' lead just 30 seconds later.
Despite being heavily outshot 31-7 in the latter periods, the Moose held on. A close call saw a potential goal reviewed and disallowed, keeping them in the fight.
With 19.8 seconds left, Anderson-Dolan notched his second goal, narrowing the gap to one. But the Moose ultimately fell 4-3 in this thrilling encounter.
Post-game, Alfons Freij shared why he chose to wear number 23, honoring his Timra teammate Jeremy Boyce-Rotevall. He also recounted a humorous tale of his dad rushing home from a beer league game to watch his son's AHL debut.
Standout performances included:
- Jaret Anderson-Dolan with 2 goals
- Walker Duehr with 1 goal and 1 assist
The team was set to practice the next day but opted to cancel, planning to return to the ice on Monday.