Manitoba beats league-best team, but fall twice to Admirals

Wednesday, Feb. 25 – Manitoba 3, Grand Rapids 2 (OT)

Defenceman Dylan Moulton, who the Moose signed to a PTO, made his AHL debut. He has recorded 11 points (2G, 9A) in 41 games with the Toledo Walleye (ECHL) this season. Defenceman Ben Zloty also made his season debut with the Moose.

Manitoba opened the scoring when Samuel Fagemo and Jaret Anderson-Dolan exchanged passes on a 2-on-0 breakaway before Fagemo forward buried his 14th of the season at 12:32 of the first period.

Michael Brandsegg-Nygård tied the game for the Griffins 3:43 into the second with his 11th. Near the midway mark of the frame, Isaak Phillips jammed home his fifth of the campaign past Sebastian Cossa to restore Manitoba’s one-goal lead at 10:14.

Brandsegg-Nygård struck again, this time on the power play, just 2:49 after Phillips’ go-ahead goal.

With no third-period scoring, the game headed to overtime.

Manitoba took a too-many-men penalty just over a minute into extra time, sending Grand Rapids to the power play.

Phil Di Giuseppe jumped on a loose puck in the neutral zone and sped the other way, sliding his breakaway chance through the legs of Cossa to tally Manitoba’s league-leading ninth shorthanded goal of the campaign and secure a 3-2 victory. The game-winner tied Di Giuseppe for third in the AHL with three shorthanded goals.

A very shorthanded Manitoba club improved to 24-18-4-1, while Thomas Milic made 25 saves.

Saturday, Feb. 28 – Milwaukee 6, Manitoba 2

Manitoba rolled into Milwaukee on Saturday looking to build a win streak.

The Admirals opened the scoring 12:34 into the contest. Cole O’Hara stole the puck from Brayden Yager at centre ice before beating Milic through the five-hole on a breakaway for his 14th.

The second period featured five combined goals. Joey Willis (4) scored 8:54 into the frame to give Milwaukee a two-goal lead. Yager (7) made up for his earlier turnover to get Manitoba within one at 9:37. Fedor Svechkov (3) restored the Admirals’ two-goal edge at 12:10 on the power play.

The Moose responded quickly once again, trimming the lead just 35 seconds later as Tyson Empey scored his first of the campaign, ripping a shot past Matt Murray’s blocker. Reid Schaefer (12) then made it 4-2 with a shorthanded marker at 3:28.

Milwaukee added two more in the third. Kyle Marino (4) gave the Admirals a three-goal lead early in the frame, and Isaac Ratcliffe (4) made it 6-2.

Manitoba dropped its third game in the last four, falling to 24-19-4-1. Milic turned aside 25 shots.

Sunday, March 1 – Milwaukee 4, Manitoba 3 (OT)

Manitoba and Milwaukee met again the following day as the calendar flipped to March. Bauer returned after serving his two-game suspension.

After a scoreless first period, Manitoba struck early in the second.

Moulton put the Moose on the board at 2:25, following up his own rebound and sending a shot toward the front of the net from below the goal line. It banked off Murray’s skates and in for his first AHL goal.

Schaefer then tied the game at 5:56 off the rush for his second goal in as many games.

The Moose regained their lead at 16:44 when Mason Shaw’s shot hit the post and Di Giuseppe tapped in his 10th of the year, marking the sixth time in his AHL career he’s reached double digits.

Midway through the third, Jets 2021 second-round pick Nikita Chibrikov netted his third of the season after the puck bounced off the end wall and onto his tape, giving Manitoba a 3-1 lead.

Manitoba was unable to close it out, however, as Milwaukee rallied late. David Edstrom (8) pulled the Admirals within one at 16:33, and Svechkov (4) tied it at 17:48 to force overtime.

Schaefer ended it at 1:48 of overtime, his third goal of the weekend, to complete the comeback.

Manitoba fell to 24-19-5-1. Milic, making his third consecutive start, stopped 24 shots.

Manitoba now returns home to continue its busy 15-game March with games against the Toronto Marlies on March 6 and 8.