Manitoba Smashes Texas

With the playoff positions set, and little to play for, the Manitoba Moose throttled the Texas Stars by a final score of 8-to-3 in the second to last game of the season.  The same two teams will face-off in the first round of the Divisional playoffs. 

Manitoba starting goaltender Oskari Salminen was pulled from between the pipes 16 minutes into the game. Salminen allowed two goals on seven shots.  Reserve keeper Thomas Milic stepped in to earned the win, stopping 17 of 18 shots. 

Texas netminder Remi Poirier skated home with the loss, allowing eight goals against 35 shots. 

Texas played well in the opening period scoring the first two goal off the stick of Emilio Petterson and Matej Blumel.  Kristian Reichel put the Moose of the scoreboard in the final minute of the period, giving Manitoba momentum into the middle frame. 

Manitoba owned the second period, starting with goals by Jeff Malott and Kristian Reichel in the first four minutes.  Parker Ford and Colby Barlow added power play goals, giving the Moose a 5-to-2 lead going into the final intermission. 

“Temperature rose in the second (period), and to be quite frank, better to see it happen now than on Tuesday (the first playoff game against Manitoba),” said Texas Stars head coach Neil Graham.  “We also lost composure and the identity of our game.”

Penalties and loss of indentity continued to plague Texas in the third period with power play goals by Manitoba’s Dominic Toninato, Ville Heinola and Simon Lundmark.  Manitoba was 5-for-7 on power plays in the game. 

The Stars’ Fredrik Karlstrom helped ease the team’s frustration with a goal in the last minute of play. 

Looking ahead to the playoff game against Manitoba, Graham offered his perspective, saying “Play game hard.  Play within the rules of game. Stay out of garbage that you can get dragged into very easy.  And if you do that, you control the style.  Tomorrow’s a new day. But there is no overreaction in terms of the final result.”