The Moose came into tonight’s game looking to bounce back after splitting their series against the Canucks in Abbotsford and suffering a tough 4-1 regulation loss. The big news was the return of center David Gustafsson, who had been sidelined for seven games due to injury.
His comeback saw Tyson Empey stepping out of the lineup. In goal, Domenic DiVincentiis got the nod, giving Thomas Milic a break after three consecutive starts.
Moose Lineup:
- Forwards: Shaw-Ford-Di Giuseppe, JAD-Yager-Chibrikov, Fagemo-Gustafsson*-Duehr, Barlow-Zhilkin-Julien
- Defense: Sautner-Bauer, Phillips-Anhorn, Clague-Barteaux
- Goaltender: DiVincentiis
Game Highlights:
Just 14 seconds into the game, Tyrel Bauer and Alex Gallant reignited their rivalry with a heavyweight bout, setting the tone for an intense matchup.
The Moose struck first with a power play goal from Jets prospect Brayden Yager, who fired a wrister for his ninth goal of the season. Yager has been on a roll, tallying three goals and three assists over his last seven games. Impressively, the Moose have now scored power play goals in four of their last five games, a significant improvement for a team that has struggled in this area.
However, the game took a dramatic turn in the second period. The Wranglers unleashed an offensive barrage, scoring six goals on just 12 shots.
This marked a rare defensive collapse for the Moose, reminiscent of a similar occurrence back in their final AHL season before relocating to St. John’s.
Walker Duehr found the back of the net against his former team, marking his 13th goal of the season with a deft deflection. The play was set up by an all-Swedish assist line, with Samuel Fagemo and David Gustafsson contributing. Gustafsson’s assist pushed him to a new career high, reaching 31 points this season with nine goals and 22 assists.
Despite outscoring the Wranglers 2-1 across the first and third periods, the Moose couldn't overcome the disastrous second period, where they were outscored 6-0. This marks their first back-to-back regulation losses since early February.
Post-Game Reflections:
The team is expected to take a day off tomorrow to regroup and refocus. With their sights set on bouncing back, the Moose will look to tighten up defensively and capitalize on their offensive opportunities moving forward.