The Manitoba Moose fell to 3-5-0 after getting swept by the now 8-1-0 Milwaukee Admirals. The Admirals have not lost a game since dropping their season opener.
The effort was better in the second half of the back-to-back, but the Moose were unable to beat the Milwaukee goaltending when it mattered most. After dropping these two games to a divisional opponent, the upcoming five-game road trip against all Central Division teams becomes even more important.
Moose Swept, but Effort Improves in Second Game of Series
Game 1, Nov. 1, 2024: MIL 4 – 2 MB
The Moose lost the first game of the series against the Admirals, dropping a 4-2 contest to fall to 3-4-0 on the season. The Admirals have been incredibly hot to start the season, improving their record to 7-1-0.
The Moose fell down 2-0 after the first period, with the Admirals’ Reid Schaefer and Kieffer Bellows getting on the scoresheet in the opening frame. The Moose battled back in the second, with Nikita Chibrikov potting his third of the season to narrow the deficit to one.
Axel Jonsson-Fjällby tallied his first of the season to tie the game on a shorthanded goal. Unfortunately for the Moose, that deadlock was short-lived as Schaefer scored his second of the game just five seconds after the Moose tied it.
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Despite outshooting the Admirals, 32-24 in the game, the Moose were unable to find the equalizer, eventually dropping the game 4-2 after Nick Blankenburg added one more for Milwaukee in the third.
Among the game leaders, Schaefer’s two goals led the way, with Vinnie Hinostroza tallying three assists and Kieffer Bellows recording a goal and a helper of his own. Matthew Murray recorded the win for the Admirals, making 30 saves on 32 shots.
Dawson Barteaux led the Moose with two assists in the contest, with Chaz Lucius also picking up an assist. Thomas Milic was handed the loss after allowing four goals on 24 shots.
Game 2, Nov. 2, 2024: MIL 4 – 1 MB
There were a lot of new faces in the Moose lineup in the second game, but the result was the same as they dropped this one by a score of 4-1. It was a close game throughout, and there were plenty of chances for the Moose to draw even, but ultimately they just couldn’t find the back of the net.
The Admirals opened the scoring for the second straight game, this time off the stick of Fedor Svechkov. The lead didn’t last, however, as Moose forward Henri Nikkanen jumped on a turnover from Admirals goaltender Magnus Chrona and buried it from the goal line for his first of the season.
Jake Lucchini added a goal for the Admirals in the second period, restoring their lead with what was eventually the game-winner. The Moose appeared to tie the game on a Parker Ford deflection near the end of the second, but the goal was called back on a borderline goaltender interference call. Unfortunately for the Moose, that was the closest they would get for the remainder of the contest.
Hinostroza and Navrin Mutter added empty-net goals to extend the lead, but for all intents and purposes, this was a 2-1 game until very late.
Chrona was spectacular for the Admirals, making 32 saves to earn the win. Several of his saves were outstanding, likely changing the overall outcome of the game.
Domenic DiVincentiis took the loss after allowing two goals on 25 shots. It was another solid outing for the rookie, who now sits at 2-2-0 with a 0.941 save percentage.
Bauer Returns to Lineup, Energy Noticed by Teammates
Moose defenceman Tyrel Bauer returned to the lineup for the first time since their opening series against the Iowa Wild where he suffered an injury. He played on the back end alongside former Winnipeg Ice (now Wenatchee Wild) defender Ben Zloty.
Bauer is known for his willingness to drop the gloves, even taking fighting lessons with Rangers’ forward Matt Rempe in the offseason from Georges Laraque. He wasted little time in Saturday’s game against the Admirals facing off against Kyle Marino.
Moose forward Mark Liwiski, who also doesn’t shy away from mixing it up, was happy to have Bauer back and firing the team up early in the game.
“Right from the get-go, I thought that everyone from the goaltender to the forwards was dialed in,” Liwiski said after the game. “Props to [Bauer], huge fight to get the boys going.”
Second Game Effort a Step in the Right Direction
After the second game of the series, everyone was in agreement that the effort was much better than game one. That was a common sentiment among players and coaches in their post-game media availabilities, and it is clear they want to carry that forward into the upcoming road trip.
Moose forward Mason Shaw was one of those who believed the effort was much better in the second game and knew that sentiment would be echoed by his teammates.
“If you were to ask [the rest of the team], I thought we made it pretty hard on [the Admirals] tonight,” Shaw said. “Obviously, we would have liked the results to be different, but there’s a lot of things that we can take from that to move forward and build off of.”
It’s hard to pull positives from a sweep at the hands of a divisional opponent, but Shaw is right when he says that there were good things to build off of going forward.
I asked assistant coach Morgan Klimchuk about some of those positives from the game and how they can move forward as they hit the road for five games.
“We competed a lot harder,” Klimchuk explained. “We rolled through that effort throughout the whole game, it wasn’t just for one period or a quick stretch. For the most part, we were playing the way we need to have success going forward.”
Up Next – A Trip to Texas
The Moose hit the road for a pair of games against the Texas Stars, beginning on Saturday, Nov. 9. After that, they meet the Admirals for a game before facing the Rockford IceHogs, who they faced last week, and the Chicago Wolves before returning home on Nov. 21.
