Highlight REEL:Moose 3 Bears 2

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Moose blue-liner Max Fortunus takes the hands-on approach, corralling Hershey’s Steve Pinizzotto along the boards during second-period play. (CHRIS KNIGHT / THE PATRIOT-NEWS)

First Period

Manitoba gets aggressive in an attempt to score an early goal and while it results in a few offensive chances it also gives the Bears an opportunity to try and capitalize on pinching Moose defencemen. The result leaves Moose goalie Cory Schneider all alone on a number of occasions, but he's the best he's been in the series and turns everything aside.

Bears 0 Moose 0

Second Period

Michael Grabner gets the Moose on the board as he capitalizes on some wonderful cycle work from Guillaume Desbiens. Desbiens works the puck behind the Hershey net before charging to the front and taking a shot, allowing Grabner to whip the rebound behind Bears goalie Michal Neuvirth. Just over a minute later rookie Cody Hodgson finds a tiny hole and rips a shot past Neuvirth for a two-goal edge.

Moose 2 Bears 0

Third Period

The Bears finally beat Schneider as Graham Mink gets free in the slot and outwaits Schneider before flipping the puck into the net. The Moose, however, continue to press and Jason Krog is able to seal the deal as he fires the puck into an empty net. The Bears don't die and John Carlson beats Schneider with 30 seconds left, but that's where the fun ends.

Moose 3 Bears 2

The impact makers

Grabner, Krog and Hodgson were invisible in the first two games in Hershey but they come alive to spark Manitoba's offence. The real star in this game was unquestionably Cory Schneider, as the young netminder turns back 31 shots in his best performance of the playoffs.

Fan-o-meter

Three straight sellouts at Hershey's Giant Center and this was the biggest and the loudest. The announced crowd was 10,860 and they handed out thundersticks to the fans prior to game, making for a dangerous din in the building. Pass the earplugs.

In and out

The Moose make a number of changes as coach Scott Arniel sits defenceman Zach FitzGerald in favour of Nathan McIver while centre Mark Cullen misses due to a lower body injury and is replaced by Hodgson. Centre Greg Rallo was scratched and rookie Matt Pope inserted.

***

Ticket update: Game 6 is scheduled for Friday in Winnipeg and the Moose said late Tuesday the game is now sold out. Game 7 would go Sunday and over 12,000 tickets have been sold for that game.

"ö Up next: Hershey Bears at Manitoba Moose, MTS Centre, Friday, 7:30 p.m.

-- Gary Lawless

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 10, 2009 C4