Fast Facts: Moose at Iowa – Dec. 23

The Moose and Wild close out their pre-holiday schedule with a rematch of last night's feisty contest. Iowa claimed a 3-1 win, but the teams combined for 96 penalty minutes along the way. Nikita Chibrikov scored the lone Moose goal in the loss, while the Wild scored three times in the second period to fuel their win. Coverage of tonight's 6 p.m. CT matchup begins at 5:45 p.m. CT on CJOB.com/sports, the Winnipeg Jets App and AHLTV.

Matchbox Twenty

Nikita Chibrikov scored his ninth goal of the season in yesterday’s contest. The forward, a 2021 second round Winnipeg selection, has registered 20 points (9G, 11A) in 23 contests and is the first Moose skater this season to hit the 20-point plateau. The winger is now tied for the team lead with four tallies on the power play. Among the AHL’s rookie class, Chibrikov is the eighth skater to reach 20 or more points. The Moscow, Russia product is tied for sixth overall in first-year scoring and sits in a five-way tie for third in goal scoring.

Mighty Malott

Jeff Malott assisted on Nikita Chibrikov’s power play goal last night. The winger’s power play helper was his fourth of the campaign, which places him in a two-way tie for third on the squad. Malott is currently riding a three-game assist streak, which is one game shy of his longest point streak of the campaign. The forward, who has finished each of his previous three seasons top-five in Moose scoring, currently ranks third on the team with 18 points (7G, 11A) through 23 contests. The Waterdown, Ont. product is tied for the Moose lead in both assists and points through the month of December and has 123 career points (67G, 56A) in 190 AHL contests, all with Manitoba.

Holiday Numbers Recap

Manitoba is set to play its 25th game of the season and final contest before the holiday break. Entering the contest, the Moose sport an 11-13-0-0 record, which is good for sixth place in the Central Division. The power play currently ranks seventh in the league and is clicking at a rate of 21.8%. When the power play converts at least twice in a single game, the Moose record is 3-0-0-0. Manitoba’s sweet spot is holding its opponent to two goals or less and the club is 7-0-0-0 when that occurs.

Spengler Cup Bound

Goaltender Thomas Milic has been named to Canada’s Spengler Cup roster. Milic has appeared in four games for Manitoba this season and posted a 1-1-0 record along with a 3.74 goals-against average and a .877 save percentage. The netminder recorded his first AHL victory on Nov. 17 in Belleville on the strength of 26 stops. Milic is no stranger to donning the maple leaf has represented Canada before and won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2023 World Junior Championships. The Coquitlam, B.C. product also captured gold with Team Canada at the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship. The netminder was a fifth round selection, 151st overall, of the Winnipeg Jets in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Who's Trending?

Daniel Torgersson led the Moose with four shots on goal in last night’s loss to Iowa. It was Torgersson’s 10th multi-shot contest this season, and third game recording four or more shots. The Hono, Sweden product posted four or more shots six times in 69 games during his rookie campaign in 2022-23. Torgersson has five points (1G, 4A) in 20 games this season.