Moose leave it till late, but stay alive

The Manitoba Moose have kept their season alive in dramatic fashion.

David Gustafsson’s perfect tip of a Brayden Yager shot with 43 seconds left in regulation was the difference Friday night as the farm club of the Winnipeg Jets rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Milwaukee Admirals at Canada Life Centre.

That evens the best-of-three play-in series 1-1, with a winner-take-all showdown now set for Sunday afternoon at the downtown rink.

“That’s the thing you dream of,” said Gustafsson, who has played 149 NHL games with the Jets but didn’t get a sniff with the big club this season. Instead, the 26-year-old Swede was a solid mentor to some of the organization’s young prospects while showing he can still bring plenty on the ice.

“That was the best game we played all season, from every single guy in there. That’s what you’ve gotta do if you want to win in the playoffs. I’m proud of every single one of them.”

Injuries cost Gustafsson 24 games this season, including the final stretch of the regular-season. Fortunately for the Moose, he recovered in time for the start of the playoffs.

“He’s been a horse for us when he plays,” said head coach Mark Morrison. “It was great to see that for him.”

While Gustafsson may no longer be viewed as a prize young prospect in the organization, Yager very much is. And the 21-year-old, who impressed in three late-season games with the Jets, was buzzing in this one. He drew a pair of earlier power plays for his team and can sleep easy knowing his first professional playoff point was a pivotal one.

Not to be overlooked is the play of 22-year-old goaltender Dom DiVincentiis, who was a bit of a surprise starter over Game 1 ’tender Thomas Milic. DiVicentiis stopped 19 of 20 shots and even got involved in a bit of a melee as the final buzzer sounded, trading jabs with several Milwaukee player.

“That’s playoff hockey,” said DiVincentiis, who believes this was his team’s best overall game of the season.

Special teams

Manitoba’s power play has been a sore point all season and had already come up empty on four attempts in this elimination game — while also surrendering a shorthanded breakaway goal that put them in an deficit early in the second period.

But the Moose saved their best for last as Admirals forward Oasiz Wiesblatt took a reckless elbowing penalty with just under two minutes left in the third period. Some patience combined with stellar puck movement, net-front traffic and a perfectly timed-deflection proved to be the difference.

“Our PP hasn’t been great all year, so the guys on the bench shake it off pretty quick,” said Morrison. “They didn’t get frustrated because of it and they just kept on playing.”

The penalty kill also came through in the clutch, killing off three straight minor penalties earlier in the third period and four on the night.

“Having a good PK builds you a lot of momentum. Those three penalties we killed off gave up the momentum to have the confidence to go and score on our power play,” said Gustafsson.

DiVincentiis credited some of Manitoba’s hard-nosed defencemen — particularly Tyrel Bauer and Ashton Sautner — for sacrificing their bodies and blocking plenty of rubber before it could reach him.

“I was telling them at the end of the game, that’s being a warrior,” he said.

Play to the whistle

There’s a reason coaches always harp on players to keep going until the whistle blows. Manitoba’s first goal Friday would be a perfect example.

It looked like Milwaukee goaltender Matthew Murray might have a loose puck corralled under his pad. And a couple of teammates who were around his crease seemed to think the same way, given that they essentially stood still.

Not so for the Moose. Defenceman Elias Salomonsson, who had taken the initial shot, went hard to the blue paint, as did forward Walker Duehr. Somehow they were able to free up the puck, which Parker Ford took advantage of by firing into the back of the net.

The Admirals protested in vain, as the referees and linesman confirmed it was a good goal after a brief huddle.

It was the second goal in as many games for Ford, the undrafted free agent signed out of Providence College four years ago who has shown well during several call-ups with the Jets.

Ford’s goal early in the second period came 2:11 after Milwaukee had grabbed the lead and prevented the visitors from gaining any sustained momentum.

Key play

Gustafsson’s timely tip ensured the Moose would live to play another day

THREE STARS

1. MANITOBA F David Gustafsson: Game-winning goal

2. MILWAUKEE G Matthew Murray: 33 saves

3. MANITOBA F Brayden Yager: 1 assist

EXTRA, EXTRA

A crowd of 4,738 fans took in the game.

“That was an unbelievable crowd there and we’d love to see it again on Sunday,” said DiVincentiis.

Morrison called it the best atmosphere of the season.

Salomonsson’s made the Moose’s task a bit less daunting. The slick blue-liner became a staple in Winnipeg’s roster during the second half of the season only to suffer a concussion a few weeks ago. He was cleared to return this week and replaced Dawson Barteaux in the lineup.

“He can do everything, so we’re glad to have him back,” said Morrison.

www.winnipegfreepress.com/mikemcintyre