Fast Facts: Moose vs. Belleville – March 11

The Moose hit the final weekend of a nine-game homestand as they welcome the Belleville Senators to Canada Life Centre. Both teams come into the set on a roll with Manitoba on a three-game winning streak and Belleville posting points in five straight games (4-0-1-0). Tickets for this evening's 7 p.m. matchup are available at MooseHockey.com/TICKETS. Coverage of tonight's game on CJOB.com/sports, AHLTV and the Manitoba Moose App gets started at 6:45 p.m.

Power to the Pogo

Austin Poganski was a welcome sight back on ice for the Moose against the Rockford IceHogs on March 5. The forward returned to the lineup after playing 16 games with the Winnipeg Jets. He promptly recorded two points (1G, 1A) in the third period of the 5-3 victory. The St. Cloud, Minn. product assisted on the game-winning goal and added an insurance tally. Poganksi now has 23 points (8G, 15A) in 32 games this season with the Moose. He leads the current Moose roster with a 0.72 points per game average.

Setting the Tone

Greg Meireles has been on the tear in the second half of the season. The forward, who is in his rookie season in the AHL, recorded another assist in the March 5 win over the Rockford IceHogs. Meireles has been especially productive as of late with seven points (2G, 5A) over the course of his last five games. The Kitchener Ranger alumni sits with 27 points (5G, 22A) in 44 games and is tied for the team lead with defenceman Leon Gawanke. Meireles leads the Moose with 22 assists ranks and paces the club with six multi-point games.

Steady Improvement

Jeff Malott continues to rack up goals in his second AHL campaign. Last season, as a rookie, Malott led the Moose by scoring 14 goals over the course of 34 games. The forward hasn’t skipped a beat this season and scored his 15th of the season in the March 5 win over the Rockford IceHogs. Malott is up to 24 points (15G, 9A) in 41 games and leads the team with five game-winning goals. The Burlington, Ont. product also sits tied for fifth in the AHL in game-winners. Malott has been a productive shooter throughout his two seasons, tallying 29 goals on 182 shots, good for a 15.9 percent success rate.

Showing Out from the Blueline

Defenceman Johnathan Kovacevic continues to produce at both ends of the ice. The defender has points in back-to-back games while recording three points (1G, 2A) in those contests. Kovacevic is up to 18 points (8G, 10A) over 40 games this season. The eight goals and 18 points represent career highs for  the Grimsby, Ont. product, who is tied with Leon Gawanke the team lead in goals among defencemen.  Kovacevic is currently tied for the team lead in plus/minus with a plus-11 rating. He has recorded at least a plus-10 rating in his first two full AHL seasons. Kovacevic also made his NHL debut with Winnipeg this season and skated in four games for the big club.

Who's Trending?

Cole Maier recorded an assist in Manitoba’s 5-3 win over Rockford on March 5.  The forward is on a three-game point streak while totalling four points (1G, 3A). Maier currently sits third on the Moose in scoring with 25 points (12G, 13A) in 46 games. He has recorded a new career high in goals, assists and points this season with Manitoba.