MOose fall out of postseason in first round for third-straight year
The 2023-2024 Manitoba Moose campaign has come to a bitter end.
With two-straight losses in their best-of-three divisional series against the Texas Stars, the Moose have now bowed out of the first (or preliminary) round of the Calder Cup Playoffs three years in a row.
The No. 4 seed Stars outscored the No. 5 seed Moose by a total of 8-3 in the two games played at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, winning 6-3 in Game 1 and 2-0 in Game 2.
Although the Moose finished lower in the Central Division standings than the Stars, past results between these two teams suggested the Moose had a high chance of advancing past the first round.
Before the Calder Cup Playoffs, the Moose had won four of their last five contests against the Dallas Stars’ AHL affiliate, outscoring them by a substantial 27-12 margin.
When you also consider the individual successes of players like Brad Lambert (21 goals, 34 assists), Nikita Chibrikov (17 goals, 30 assists), and Kyle Capobianco (12 goals, 42 assists) — the 2023-24 recipient of the Eddie Shore Award for the AHL’s most outstanding defenceman — it makes you wonder, where did things go wrong?
Game 1:
The first game between the two teams came down to costly mistakes made by Manitoba in the second period.
The Moose started slow, being outshot by the Stars 12-3, but they got on the board first after Daniel Torgersson’s tap-in goal in front of the Stars’ net.
Manitoba’s lead lasted all of 37 seconds after Mavrik Bourque – the 22-year-old forward awarded the AHL’s 2023-24 most valuable player – sniped one home past Thomas Milic off the rush to tie the game at ones entering the second.
The Moose’s second period was 20 minutes of hockey characterized by turnovers and defensive lapses in coverage.
The Stars took advantage of their opportunities and exploded for three goals by Curtis Mckenzie, Michael Karow, and Christian Kyrou making the game 4-1.
The Moose responded with goals from Chibrikov late in the second and Parker Ford in the third to make it a 4-3 game, but the three-goal deficit proved to be too much to recover from, as the Stars added two more goals, sealing the 6-3, Game 1 victory.
“We didn’t execute. That’s what playoffs are all about,” forward Parker Ford shared with Moose reporter Austin Siragusa postgame.
Many of the execution woes for Manitoba were made in the defensive zone with careless passes and unforced turnovers to the hungry Stars.
Despite allowing five goals against, Milic carried his success from the regular season (19-9-3 record) into this game, making 30 saves and giving his team life throughout.
Game 2:
Manitoba’s Game 2 loss was another case of lacking execution, but this time offensively.
Stars centreman Fredrik Karlström scored the only two goals in the game, both coming on the power play.
Netminder Remi Poirier was the story of the night, stopping all 41 shots he faced in a game dominated by Manitoba.
“We threw everything we had at him; sometimes you just have to tip your cap,” veteran Moose forward Dominic Toninato said with credit to Poirier postgame.
Although the outcome is frustrating for the Moose, Toninato did say that the team came a long way from the season’s beginnings.
“This team has been through a lot… many ups and downs,” said Toninato.
At Christmas, the Moose found themselves sitting dead last in the AHL standings and amid an 11-game losing streak.
To make it all the way back to a playoff spot from the very bottom does speak to the resiliency of this club.
What Now?
With another Moose season now officially in the book, what happens next?
The answer lies in one word: youth.
With the development of their young up-and-coming talent, the Moose will be an intriguing team to follow next season. Head coach Mark Morrison and his staff will be tasked with trying to remain competitive while continuing to develop players like Lambert, Chibrikov, Torgersson, Milic, Chaz Lucius and Simon Lundmark for the big show.
These prospects will be catalysts for the Moose in the 2024-2025 season, and will need to continue to grow their game, adapting to the pro level both on and off the ice.
Colby Barlow and Elias Salomonsson will also be expected to make the full-time jump to the AHL next season.
Although Barlow didn’t make an appearance in the playoffs, he did get a recent taste of some AHL action, scoring three points (one goal, two assists) in three games to end the season.
Salomonsson is a young, talented Swede who will likely slide into an immediate top-four role on the blue line.
As they were this season, the Moose will be one of the youngest teams in the AHL next season. They will need to embrace the youth in their lineup and learn from the veterans what it takes to be successful against players bigger, faster and stronger if they want to take the next step in their careers.
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