WINNIPEG – It took the Manitoba Moose seven games to score seven goals earlier this season but what a difference a few months can make. The Moose counted seven goals on Saturday against the Charlotte Checkers in a 7-2 victory at MTS Centre.
Austen Brassard scored twice while Thomas Raffl, Patrice Cormier, Ryan Olsen, John Albert and JC Lipon also found the net in the win.
“Ahh it feels great.” Olsen said. “I think we needed that as a team. It’s a confidence booster and it feels good for everybody.”
Eric Comrie made the start in goal for Manitoba and stopped 31 of the 33 shots he faced. Former Moose netminder Drew MacIntyre made just nine saves for the Checkers before getting pulled midway through the second period.
“I thought we played a real strong game.” said Moose head coach Keith McCambridge. “Obviously got in a bit of penalty trouble in the first period. They got the number two ranked powerplay in the American Hockey League so we didn’t want to let it get on the ice as many times as it did but I thought we did a pretty good job at keeping it close with regards to their chances. But obviously the second and third able to capitalize on some offensive opportunities.”
Less than two minutes into the game Scott Kosmachuk found Raffl at the top of the circle. Raffl drilled in the one-timer for his fifth goal of the season to give the Moose the early upper hand.
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The Moose added another goal just two minutes later. John Albert spotted Cormier and he deked around MacIntyre before sending in the backhand. It was Cormier’s 11th goal of the campaign.
The Checkers answered back at the 7:46 mark. Sergey Tolchinsky passed it to Derek Ryan in the slot and he slid the puck in through the 5-hole on Comrie. Ryan’s 15th goal of the season was a powerplay marker. Ryan Murphy also drew an assist and it was 2-1. Charlotte outshot Manitoba 16-5 in the opening period.
After three goals in the first eight minutes they’d play more than 22 minutes without a goal. But at the 14:36 of the middle frame Axel Blomqvist made the centring pass and Brassard found the net to extend the Moose lead. Cormier had the other assist on Brassard’s 11th goal of the season.
Just 70 seconds later Ryan Olsen beat MacIntyte to make it a three goal Moose advantage. Darren Kramer and Aaron Harstad had the assists and that was the end of the night for MacIntyre as he was replaced in goal by Daniel Altshuller. The shots were 11-8 in favour of Manitoba in the middle period.
Just under five minutes into the final frame the Moose connected on the man advantage. On a nice tic-tac-toe passing play Lipon finished it off with Brassard and Josh Morrissey grabbing assists for Manitoba and that opened the floodgates.
Less than two minutes later Brassard carried it down the wing and fired it past Altshuller short side for his second goal of the game and 15th of the season. Jake Baker picked up an assist in his first game in a Moose uniform.
Moments later John Albert brought it into the zone on the odd man rush and buried the shot for the Moose third goal of the period and Albert’s 11th goal of the season. Olsen and Andrew MacWilliam picked up the assists as the Moose scored three goals in the span of less than three minutes.
With just over six minutes to go the Checkers made it appear a little more respectable as Brendan Woods blasted in the slap shot from the point. But that would close out the scoring as the Moose skated to the 7-2 victory.
The Moose play the Checkers again on Sunday with the rematch scheduled to begin at 2:00pm.
WATCH: The Moose react following a 7-2 thrashing of the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday.
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