Manitoba Moose

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Look ma, no hands: Moose can't score

They've been working hard on their touch around the net

By: Tim Campbell

13/11/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Marty Murray was among those working on their close-range skills in Thursday’s Moose workout. (MIKE.APORIUS@FREEPRESS.MB.CA)

The goal-starved Manitoba Moose have put in some full practice days this week, but the goings-on after Thursday's workout at Gateway Recreation Centre were more telling.

At the east end of the ice, the four players on the Moose most capable of generating some offence were spinning, flipping, snapping, passing and shooting pucks at each other and the empty net under the watchful eye of Vancouver Canucks skills coach Glenn Carnegie.

"Just quick-hands stuff," said Marty Murray, who was joined by Sergei Shirokov, Eric Walsky and Marco Rosa.

Maybe it was some familiarity work -- among themselves, and the net. And maybe it will be just that little extra bit of work to the team break out of its worst-ever drought.

The Moose have scored just nine goals in the last 10 games and head into tonight's contest at the MTS Centre against the Toronto Marlies losers of five straight.

It's desolate on the scoresheet these days. Walsky has no points in nine games. Shirokov has none in five. Rosa and Murray each have just one goal and no assists in seven games. The team has not exceeded two goals in a game since Oct. 16.

"It's been a bit of a grind so far," said Murray, with eight points in 19 games. "It's not exactly the way I drew it up; it never is. I've always been right around a point-per-game player in this league so it is what it is.

"I can't go back. We're in a bit of a funk right now and that's my main focus right now is to help get the team out of that."

There are lots of questions right now, and not many answers.

"You don't want to think about it too much or it gets in your head," Murray said.

And that's where Moose coach Scott Arniel has pinned his focus, knowing that things are not as scripted at the moment with eight regulars out of the lineup, either hurt or in Vancouver or both.

People like Michael Grabner, Alex Bolduc and Guillaume Desbiens have produced at this level. Likewise defenceman Lawrence Nycholat.

"Last game in Texas, we outchanced them 19-9, had all kinds of opportunities and when that happens over an extended period of time, it has a little to do with the skill level, no disrespect to any of our players," the coach said.

"There's a big difference between a guy who scores 30-40 goals and a guy who scores 10-15. When you're missing some of those guys, it puts stress on other guys."

Arniel was asked if he's thought of just rattling a few chains, so to speak.

"No, I haven't got there," he said. "We have habits, things we want to do in practice like hitting nets and battling for rebounds. If you start to lean on people, tell them they've really got to score, that's when things get worse.

"They know who they are. You've got to put them in situations to have success. You have to simplify things."

The hitting-the-net advice, that's a good place for this version of the Moose to start. During this losing streak, missed nets have been about the only consistent trait of the offence.

"We're a little fragile," Murray admitted. "We have the puck on our sticks but we can't seem to get it off and into the net. The last game we probably missed three or four open nets. When you're rolling those things go in.

"We've had a good week of practice. We haven't had much all year really, we've had a real busy October and November. We've worked a lot on the power play all week. Hopefully we'll see some results."

Arniel has tried to squash negative energy.

"You make sure you hit the net, get your shot off quickly," he said. "You see it still in the NHL, in our league (too) that guys have glorious chances and they pass the puck off because they think, oh-oh, it's not going to go in so I'll give it to somebody else."

At this stage of the game, the Moose are running out of the somebody elses.

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca

Moose vs. Marlies

Games: Tonight, Saturday at the MTS Centre, 7:30 p.m.

Toronto: 6-4-1-1, have seven games in hand on the Moose.

Manitoba: 8-9-2, have lost five in a row, goalie Cory Schneider has returned.

Last meeting: A nasty first-round playoff series in April. Manitoba, the more disciplined team when it came to tactics and penalties, prevailed 4-2.

Coaches, captains, friends: Moose coach Scott Arniel and new Marlies coach Dallas Eakins are both former Moose captains.

Saturday alert: More than 8,200 tickets are sold for Saturday and with the Santa Claus Parade ending at the MTS Centre, a sellout is expected. The upper bowl may be opened for the game.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 13, 2009 C4

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