Moose Recap: Manitoba 7 at Texas 5

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Quick Hits

• Manitoba clinched a spot in the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs
• Jansen Harkins scored twice including the game-winner for the Moose
• Leon Gawanke set the Moose defenceman single-season scoring record with his 18th and 19th goals of the season

Game Story

The Manitoba Moose (36-24-5-4) clashed with the Texas Stars (38-19-9-3) on Tuesday evening at H-E-B Center. Manitoba was coming off a 3-1 victory over Grand Rapids on Friday evening.

Manitoba opened the scoring nine minutes into the first period. The Moose forced a turnover at the offensive blueline and broke in on a two-on-one rush. Jeff Malott kept the puck and wired a shot past Matt Murray for his 22nd of the season. Manitoba added to its lead with a tally late in the first. Parker Ford dug the puck off the wall and fed Ashton Sautner at the point. The defenceman found a shooting lane and beat a partially screened Murray from distance. Oskari Salminen ended the frame with nine stops, as Manitoba took to the first intermission ahead by a pair.

Texas cut into the Moose lead on its first shot of the middle stanza. A turnover in neutral ice allowed Antonio Stranges to send Marian Studenic in alone before the latter beat Salminen with a quick deke. The Moose restored the two-goal lead three minutes later. Malott grabbed the puck and slid the feed across the ice to Jansen Harkins. The winger fired a rocket of a shot under the bar and past the glove of Murray. Texas sliced the Moose lead to 3-2 with a power play goal off the wing from Mavrik Bourque. The Stars then tied the contest as Riley Barber got the final touch off rush. Manitoba was outshot 10-9 in the middle frame and carried a 3-3 tie into the final 20 minutes of play.

Texas pulled ahead for the first time in the contest 2:11 into the third period courtesy of Riley Damiani. The Moose struck back when Alex Limoges set up Cole Maier to beat Murray with a shot under the iron. Texas pulled back ahead 39 seconds later, as Barber netted his second of the contest after coming in on an odd-man rush. Manitoba tied the contest near the halfway point of the stanza as Leon Gawanke rifled a shot from the point past Murray. It was Gawanke's 18th of the season, which set the Moose record for most goals in a single season by a defender. The antlered ones pushed ahead 6-5 on Harkins' second of the game. The winger faked a shot before moving into the slot and wiring it home on a delayed penalty. With time dwindling and the Stars on the power play, Murray was called to the bench in favour of the extra attacker. The Moose penalty killers weathered the storm for a frantic few minutes. Evan Polei won a battle at the top of the Moose zone which led to Gawanke icing the game, 7-5, with his second of the contest. Salminen captured the road victory and ended with 33 stops, while Murray was handed the loss and made 26 saves of his own.

Quotable

Moose Forward Jeff Malott (Click for full interview)

“Yeah, it’s good stuff. It’s kinda the goal at the beginning of the year. It’s what we’re working towards and hopefully we can continue to build on this game and hit our stride come playoffs."

Statbook

• Jansen Harkins notched his 50th and 51st career AHL goals
• Jeff Malott's two points (1G, 1A) set a new career-high of 42 points
• Parker Ford recorded his first AHL assist in the opening period
• Leon Gawanke's 19 goals are tied for the AHL defencemen scoring lead
• Ville Heinola has three points (3A) his past two games
• Ashton Sautner registered his second two-point game (1G, 1A) of the season

What's Next?

The Moose rematch with the Texas Stars at H-E-B Center on Wednesday, April 12. Puck drop is slated for 7 p.m. CT. You can catch the game on CJOB.com/sports the Winnipeg Jets App or AHLTV.