Moose pumped about return

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This article was published 16/02/2021 (1692 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s been a long, long wait, but after an 11-month absence, the Manitoba Moose have finally returned to game action.

The Winnipeg Jets’ AHL affiliate kicked off the 2021 season Monday night at an empty Bell MTS Place with a 3-2 loss to the visiting Toronto Marlies.

While some teams around the league have already played as many as five games, the Moose and Marlies had to wait until Monday to make their season debuts. They’re two of five teams playing in the AHL’s Canadian Division, which also features the Belleville Senators, Laval Rocket, and Stockton Heat (who have relocated to Calgary for the season).

“It was really exciting. The whole team was (excited),” said Moose head coach Pascal Vincent.

“It’s about time we play some games. Just like the players, it was an exciting time, it still is. There’s nothing like game day… For the coaching staff, the trainers, the medical staff, the management, for all of us, to play a hockey game, it was about time.”

One thing the Moose didn’t have to wait for was for their rookies to make an impact. Toronto forward Joey Anderson opened the scoring five minutes into the game by putting one past Moose netminder Mikhail Berdin. Just over a minute later, Moose defenceman Declan Chisholm, a fifth-round pick by the Jets in the 2018 NHL Draft who was making his pro debut on Monday, let a shot rip from the point to score his first career goal. Before the period came to a close, Moose forward Cole Perfetti, also playing his first pro game, jumped on a rebound in front of Toronto goalie Andrew D’Agostini to give Manitoba a 2-1 advantage. Perfetti, 19, was chosen 10th overall by the Jets in the 2020 NHL Draft. Defenceman Dylan Samberg, the Jets’ second-round pick of the 2017 draft, was also making his first pro appearance. Samberg was on the Moose’s top defensive pairing with Ville Heinola.

“It was a great experience. Playing your first pro game, it’s something special. There’s so much to learn from tonight. It’s a lot of fun going out there and just competing against those guys and playing with the guys that we’re with. It’s just a lot of fun,” Perfetti said.

“I had a great experience and obviously to score in the first game, kind of get the first one out of the way, definitely feels good. Takes the pressure off a little bit. But it was a great experience. The pace of the game is such a step up and it’s so good for my development. It was an unbelievable experience and I can’t wait to get going tomorrow night, too.”

No one dreams of scoring their first professional goal to the sound of crickets, but that didn’t put a damper on the night.

“I think being the first game in so long, you kind of forget and just zone it out and worry about your game,” Chisholm said.

“It is weird, you do miss the fans. They’re a huge part of the game and they definitely get you rallied up so I think moving forward here, guys are going to really notice that it’s gonna be quiet. You just need to be bringing the energy throughout your team.”

Three minutes into the second frame, the Marlies tied things up with a tally courtesy of forward Tyler Gaudet, who also assisted on Anderson’s goal. Gaudet wasn’t done there as he notched the game-winner with just over eight minutes left in the third. The puck took a bounce off the back wall before ending up on Gaudet’s stick in front of the net. A sprawling Berdin didn’t stand a chance. Heinola had a decent look at tying things up right before the buzzer but his slap shot missed the net. The Marlies outshot the Moose 35-27.

While Vincent would’ve liked to have picked up two points, he was impressed by the play of his young players, especially considering the extremely long layoff.

“It’s great for them. It builds some confidence. I thought we created some good scoring chances and they were a part of it. We have a lot of young guys in the lineup, but they worked hard and they stayed in the game till the end,” said Vincent.

The Moose will play their next three games at home against the Marlies, with another tilt set for tonight at Bell MTS Place at 7 p.m. The two sides will have Wednesday off before meeting again Thursday and Friday. Starting in March, the current plan is for the Moose to play their home games at Bell MTS Iceplex due to enhanced NHL protocols.

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31