Manitoba Moose

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Arniel hoping Moose give him a happy holiday

Beating Monsters would do the trick

By: Paul Wiecek

18/12/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Moose defenceman Lawrence Nycholat, out 10 weeks with injuries, is expected back this weekend. (DAVID LIPNOWSKI / FREE PRESS ARCHIVES)

Will he be Santa or will he be Scrooge?

The mood of the patriarch of the Arniel home over the coming holiday week will be determined over the next two nights as Manitoba Moose head coach Scott Arniel and his club play their final two AHL games before the Christmas break, tonight and tomorrow against the Lake Erie Monsters.

The Monsters have the worst record in the AHL and the Moose desperately want to take down four points against a weak divisional opponent as they head into a month-long stretch that will see the rest of the league catch up with Manitoba's league-leading 33 games played so far.

Win two and the Moose have a nice Christmas present -- and a bit of breathing room in an exceedingly tough North Division. "This is about us going into this break on a high note," Arniel said, "...and coming back on the 26th on a high note, so I don't have to be grumpy the whole time I'm away."

The good news is the Moose will head into the two-game series with Lake Erie (Cleveland) on a bit of a high note already.

Defenceman Lawrence Nycholat is expected to finally return to the Moose lineup this weekend after missing almost 29 games with a knee and shoulder injury sustained in a dirty hit just four games into the season.

Nycholat was run from behind by Chicago Wolves forward Brett Sterling during a game at the MTS Centre Oct. 10. Sterling was suspended four games by the AHL for the hit, while Nycholat has spent over two months undergoing surgery and rehabilitation.

While he's finally better, the defenceman admits he's still far from best.

"I've still got some kinks to work out," Nycholat said. "It's going to be a bit of a chore getting back into mid-season shape after taking 10 weeks off. I'll just have to be smart and keep it simple."

Arniel said Nycholat will be checked over once more by the team's medical staff before a final decision is made today.

"If everyone's OK with putting him back in, he'll more than likely have an opportunity to play."

While Nycholat is back, Arniel revealed it will still be at least a few weeks before the other man who was expected to anchor the Moose defence this season -- Nolan Baumgartner -- will be back.

Arniel said Baumgartner will see a doctor today about his broken finger and even good news would still mean he would be out until at least the New Year's Eve game against the visiting Texas Stars.

Meanwhile, the Moose will once again have their captain in the lineup tonight after Mike Keane took a brief detour to Colorado this week where he was feted in an on-ice ceremony by the Avalanche in Denver on Tuesday for his contributions to the 1996 Avalanche team that won the Stanley Cup.

It was the second on-ice honour this month for the 42-year-old Keane, who was earlier part of the Montreal Canadiens centennial gala.

Keane said his fellow players have been mocking what's starting to seem like a farewell tour.

"That's what happens when you get old," Keane said. "They just give (the honours) to the oldest guy."

Keane said the reaction from his old teammates in Colorado was uniform. "You still playing?" recalled Keane.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

The AHL tonight

Who's up: Lake Erie Monsters

When and where: Tonight and Saturday night, 7:30, the MTS Centre

Affiliation: Colorado Avalanche

Thumbnail: The Monsters have the fewest points in the 29-team AHL, with a record of 9-16-0-3. But they can rise to an occasion: In their last game on Sunday, they drilled the Chicago Wolves 7-3.

Player to watch: Chris Durno, a 28-year-old left-winger, had 41 goals during the past two AHL seasons, with the Monsters and San Antonio Rampage, respectively, and already has 10 goals and eight assists this season.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 18, 2009 C4

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