Moose close out road swing in Iowa

The Manitoba Moose (11-12-2-2) play their final game before the holiday break tonight at 7:00 p.m. CT, as they pay a visit to Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA for a tilt with the Iowa Wild (13-13-2-1).

Last Game

Manitoba heads into tonight’s contest following a 3-1 loss to the Wild yesterday afternoon (Dec. 18). Peter Stoykewych managed to snag another assist, giving him three assists in his last three games. Patrice Cormier netted Manitoba’s only goal while Iowa was able to score two of their three markers on the man advantage.

Flash Back

Prior to yesterday’s game, the previous series between these two teams was nothing but a nail-biter. On Nov. 22, Iowa escaped a close back and forth game with a 1-0 overtime victory. The second game (Nov. 23) was another low scoring affair with Jimmy Lodge scoring Manitoba’s only goal. The lone tally wasn’t enough to tame the Wild as the Moose fell to their division rivals from the Hawkeye State, 3-1. Manitoba’s record this season against Iowa is 1-2-1-1.

Producing Even Strength

An area of consistency for the Moose on this road trip has been their strong five-on-five play as only 53 per cent of their goals against in their last four games have come at even strength. A few forwards have been effective for Manitoba picking up points at even strength. JC Lipon is sixth on the Moose with 11 points (3G, 8A). Not one of those points came on the powerplay as 10 (3G, 7A) have come even strength with one assist coming shorthanded. Jimmy Lodge is tied for fourth on the Moose with five goals, four of them even strength and eight of his nine points have come five-on-five as well. Forward Brendan Lemieux has eight points (4G, 4A) on the season, all of them at even strength.

Iowa’s Story

Coming into tonight’s matchup, the Wild sit one spot ahead of the Moose in the standings. The Wild have been on the upswing in their last few games as they’ve picked up points in four straight games – winning three times and losing an overtime tilt versus Cleveland (Dec. 14). It’s safe to say these two teams are very evenly matched - Iowa and Manitoba have 73 and 72 goals, respectively. On the defensive side, Iowa has let in 85 goals this season to Manitoba’s 89. Iowa spread their offensive wealth around yesterday with nine different players picking up a point. No matter which goaltender Manitoba faces today, they’ll have their hands full. Alex Stalock stopped all but one Manitoba shot yesterday and now sports a .907 save percentage through 18 games while Steve Michalek is slightly ahead with a .915 save percentage in his 14 games.

What’s Next?

The Moose are off the ice for the holiday break until their next contest on Dec. 30 when the welcome the Charlotte Checkers to MTS Centre at 7:00 p.m. CT. Manitoba’s final game of 2016 is the annual Shutout Hunger game presented by Red River Co-op in support of Winnipeg Harvest. Fans attending the game are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for donation to Winnipeg Harvest.  Volunteers from Winnipeg Harvest and families of Manitoba Moose players will collect food items at each entrance of the MTS Centre until midway through the first period. For tickets to all Manitoba Moose home games, visit moosehockey.com/tickets.