Fast Facts: Moose at Abbotsford – March 16

The Moose try for two in a row over the Canucks tonight when the teams rematch in Abbotsford. Manitoba snagged a 2-1 overtime win last night in a defensive battle. The Moose now have points in six straight games (5-0-0-1). Coverage of tonight's 9 p.m. CT contest on CJOB.com/sports, AHLTV and the Manitoba Moose App begins at 8:45 p.m. CT.

Back In Antlers

The Winnipeg Jets announced today defenceman Ville Heinola was reassigned to the Moose. The 21-year-old has 18 points (2G, 16A) in 31 games with the Moose this season. Heinola has also skated in eight NHL games with Winnipeg while tallying two assists. Heinola ranks sixth on the Moose with a 0.58 points per game average (min. 20 GP) and leads the team with eight power play assists. The Honkajoki, Finland native was a first round pick, 20th overall, of the Jets in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

Canada Clash

During the 2021-22 season, the Manitoba Moose have tangled with multiple Canadian opponents including the Canucks, Belleville Senators, Laval Rocket and Toronto Marlies. Manitoba is in an especially CanCon heavy segment of the schedule, playing eight of 13 games against Canadian opponents. The Moose hold a 6-6-0-1 in 13 games against Canadian rivals. Manitoba is no stranger to tangling with their brethren north of the border, as the squad played last season in the Canadian Division bubble. The team finished the shortened season with a record of 18-13-3-2. The squad scored 109 goals and finished with a .569 winning percentage, second only to the Laval Rocket in the division.

The Puck Stops Here

Arvid Holm has found his groove with wins in each of his past three appearances. Holm allowed a total of just two goals in the three contests while stopping 61 of 63 shots for an impressive 0.968 save percentage. The netminder, who is in the midst of his AHL rookie season, has a record of 11-6-1 with a 2.71 goals-against average and .884 save percentage. He’s also recorded one shutout on the campaign. Holm has allowed two or less goals against in nine of his 18 appearances on the campaign.

Playing the Hero

Jeff Malott continues to rack up goals for the Moose. The forward ended the game yesterday with his 18th of the season in overtime. Malott rides a four-game point streak into today’s game while recording six points (4G, 2A) in that time. The forward currently leads the Moose with 28 points (18G, 10A) in 44 games and sits at the top of the Manitoba leader board with six game-winning tallies this season. Malott’s six game-winners see him currently tied for third in the league  where he’s only behind Jakob Pelletier (7) and Stefan Noesen (9). He’s also one of 18 players to record multiple overtime winners this season.

Return of the Cormier

Evan Cormier was recalled from the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers on Tuesday. Cormier impressed during his previous stint in Manitoba, registering a 4-1-2 record with a 2.51 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage. The netminder has also been a steady presence in net for the Growlers this season and has registered a record of 17-7-2 with a 2.94 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage in 26 ECHL appearances. He has also registered one shutout.

Who's Trending?

Mikey Eyssimont recorded a pair of assists in the Moose overtime win yesterday evening. The forward is riding a two-game point streak while recording four points (1G, 3A) in the games. Eyssimont currently has 26 points (10G, 16A) in 40 games and sits two points back of his career high of 28 which he achieved in 56 games with Ontario in 2019-20.