Moose backed into corner

The Manitoba Moose find themselves in familiar territory, though it’s fair to say this will be the biggest test of their resolve all season.

The Moose are facing elimination for a third time this post-season after dropping a 4-2 decision to the Grand Rapids Griffins on Wednesday before a crowd of 7,581 at Van Andel Arena.

That’s an awful lot of living on the edge since the primary affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets has played six post-season games.

The good news for the Moose is they survived the first two scares and eliminated the Milwaukee Admirals.

But knocking off the top team in the Western Conference is an even taller task, especially when you consider how challenging it has been for the Moose to generate offence in this second-round series.

“I mean, we’ve been in this spot before, where we had to win two games. We haven’t made things easy on ourselves all year. So why would we not go to five games and try to beat these guys,” Moose captain Mason Shaw said during a zoom call from Michigan. “It’s the us versus everyone mentality. We’ve got our backs against the wall, so we’ve just got to swing right now.”

The Griffins took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five Central Division semifinal, with Game 4 set for Friday night.

Should the Moose stave off elimination, the series finale goes on Saturday, with the winner facing the Chicago Wolves, who outlasted the Texas Stars in an exciting series that went the distance.

“We played our best hockey there in Game 2 against Milwaukee,” Moose winger Samuel Fagemo said. “It’s going to be a hard test, but it’s for sure a fun game, too. We have belief in this group.”

Belief is integral for a team facing elimination but the Moose are going to need to be crisper in a number of areas to keep their season alive.

“The biggest thing is to have that mix of everything,” said Fagemo. “To play desperate, but at the same time to be calm as well.”

Here’s what else transpired in Michigan in Game 3:

FINDING MORE MARKERS

The inability to score with regularity has been an issue for the Moose through six Calder Cup playoff games, as they’ve been limited to eight goals.

While their defending against a potent Griffins lineup has been impressive, the Moose are going to need to generate more opportunities against goalie Michal Postava, who has yet to allow three or more goals in 28 appearances this season, including the playoffs.

Giving up a pair of goals in the first period and another in the second to fall behind 3-0 wasn’t a recipe for success, though the Moose deserve credit for battling back to make it a one-goal game before allowing an empty-netter.

“They’re resilient. They keep coming back and coming back and trying,” Moose head coach Mark Morrison said. “I mean, it’s been tough for us to put the puck in the back of the net, but I thought we did a much better job of getting to the net, getting in his eyes. There were two or three great looks that just hit him.We get a bounce and we’re right there. But yeah, they’re not going to quit. They’re not going away.”

Shaw redirected a point shot from Dylan Anhorn to break up the shutout bid with 38 seconds remaining in the second period for his second goal of the series.

Fagemo scored on a one-timer with 3:12 to go in regulation with the Moose on a five-on-four advantage after pulling the goalie for an extra attacker.

They nearly scored the equalizer moments later but were thwarted by Postava.

“At the end of the day, it’s going to come down to one-on-one battles and winning those battles. Taking your scoring chances and executing on them and executing simple plays up the ice,” said Shaw. “When we get to our forecheck, that is our strength as a team. We’re not necessarily a team that’s run and gun, so we’ve got to get there and we’ve got to get zone time and we’ve got to find a way to get more pucks to the net because right now, we’re having a tough time getting those (point shots) through.

“I don’t think there’s any secrets anymore at this point. It’s really close and we’re right there. It’s not like we’ve got to change the script or do a complete 180 on what our game plan is.”

 

THE SLOW START

The Griffins cashed in on a delayed penalty call to score the first goal.

After gaining control in the offensive zone, Erik Gustafsson fed fellow blue-liner Antti Tuomisto for a one-timer from the point. Moose goalie Domenic DiVincentiis made the save, but Jakub Rychlovský put away the rebound.

Gustafsson was also involved in the goal that made it 2-0 as he uncorked a seeing-eye shot from the left point that appeared to change direction before it got to DiVincentiis.

“It just looks really weird. It’s kind of a low shot, maybe a foot off the ice, and then it lands on the ice and pops up three feet. Bounced in front of him, basically,” said Morrison. “It was odd. And again, it was a play against the grain. I think we had two or three shifts in their end and playing well, and they get that shot and that bounce. That’s the way it goes.”

DiVincentiis made 28 saves in his fifth consecutive start.

With the season on the line, it’s possible Morrison and his coaching staff discuss going back to Thomas Milic, who was the team MVP during the regular season and started the first game of the playoffs.

But the numbers for DiVincentiis make a strong case for sticking with him, given a 1.43 goals-against average and .955 save percentage.

 

THE KEY PLAY

Carter Mazur took advantage of a defensive-zone turnover with three minutes remaining in the second period to deliver the game-winner with a wicked wrister.

 

THE THREE STARS

1. Griffins D Erik Gustafsson: One goal, one assist
2. Griffins F Carter Mazur: Two goals, five shots
3. Moose F Mason Shaw: One goal

 

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