Even the Manitoba Moose themselves couldn’t have dreamt up a better finish to the regular season.
Mikey Eyssimont had a hat-trick, goaltender Mikhail Berdin recorded a 20-save shutout, and the Moose dominated the Abbotsford Canucks 6-0 in their American Hockey League regular-season finale Saturday at Canada Life Centre.
“If we enter the playoffs before these past two games I don’t think we’d be very happy with that,” Captain Jimmy Oligny says.
The Moose also beat the Canucks 7-1 on Thursday.
“(It) showed us that’s how we want to play, and that we’re capable of doing it,” OIigny continued. “It brings confidence to some guys who are getting some points and are getting things rolling before playoffs.”
The Moose didn’t have a ton to play for in the final set of games, after clinching second place in the AHL’s Central Division thanks to a higher points percentage than the Milwaukee Admirals, whom they’ll face in the playoffs beginning next week.
But Oligny believes the team had the opportunity to play the right way heading into the most important time of year and did just that.
“We can’t think about the past that much … even if you won 7-1 the last game, you can’t think about that when you start the next one.”
“I’m happy we started right from the get-go, got a few-goal lead, and closed the game right off.”
One of those players who’s feeling his game at the right time: defenceman Ville Heinola.
The 2019 first-round draft pick of the Winnipeg Jets has recorded six points in the past five games.
Manitoba finished their season with a 41-24-5-2 record.
Game one of the series between the Moose and Admirals is at 6 p.m. Friday, May 6.
You’ll be able to hear it live in Winnipeg on 680 CJOB with Daniel Fink and Derek Meech.
Comments