What a difference a few short weeks can make.
The Manitoba Moose were nearly unbeatable on their just completed six-game homestand. The suddenly surging Moose took 11 of a possible 12 points on home ice, and they’re now unbeaten in regulation time in their last seven straight games.
Entering the Christmas break, the Moose looked dead and buried, as five straight losses had them five games below the .500 mark sitting near the bottom of the AHL standings. But they’ve been dynamite ever since, with seven wins, two losses, and two shootout losses since hitting the reset button during the holidays.
“Christmas break was huge,” Moose forward Seth Griffith said. “We got rested. We got bodies back, just a fresh mindset. It was pretty much a new season for us coming in.”
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The playoffs were only a pipe dream just a short time ago, but the Moose are now back in the post-season race, only six points out of a playoff spot thanks to a now-or-never mentality.
“It was no secret that we were at the bottom of the league there, and we were going to have to make a push sooner than later,” Griffith said. “When you fall too far behind, it’s pretty hard to get out, so I think, if we were gonna start to battle back, we did it at the right time, and playoffs are in reach now.”
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While no one was blaming injuries for their December struggles, having a healthy Griffith and JC Lipon back in the lineup has made a world of difference.
“Both those guys bring completely different games, but they’re just as much as important to our team, and our team’s success,” defenceman Cam Schilling said. “So when they’re out of the lineup, I think guys try to overcompensate. Maybe the D-corps is trying to score too much, and maybe some guys are trying to be more skilled guys, and they’re not. So it kinda throws everybody off.”
Even more help is on the way as forward Ryan White is practicing again after missing the last 18 games with a concussion, and Sami Niku is back with the farm team, and only getting better after appearing in the last five games for the Winnipeg Jets.
“I think my defence is getting better and better,” Niku said.
“And like, a little bit stronger than last year, so it helps my defence.”
The Moose hope it helps their winning ways continue with their next six straight games on the road starting Wednesday in Grand Rapids.
WATCH: Raw Seth Griffith Interview – January 21
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