First Period

Right off the bat we’re talking about how COLD it is. Yes, Canada is cold, Mr. Announcer. Quit acting so freaking mystified/astounded with this relevation.

LABRIE drops the gloves with Wathier (SP). He wades in with a couple of fights and then they both grab for jersey. Wathier gets a couple of tags and then they decide to hug it out. Boring tilt. I’d probably give it to Wathier as he got more punches in.

Schneider not starting tonight. Not sure if this is a great call, given how things went last game, but he does need to rest. Let’s see what happens with this…

Maxwell being a wrecking ball, as he tags a Texas player in the Moose end. Looks like Gastic, the player who was hit, may have hurt his shoulder or arm. He then goes straight in to the offensive zone and lays another thunderous hit. I like the spring in this guy’s step.

Oberg holds the puck in the offensive zone and another good pinch. I’m really liking his decisions. Like night and day between him and Bieksa.

SHUT UP SHUT UP ABOUT THE WEATHER.

Matt Pope and Marco Rosa on a nice 2 on 1, but Dallas netty-minder is solid and denies the Antlered ones.

WAUGH gets fed the puck to the point and blasts one on net.

Stars collect the rebound and rush back with a shot on net. Nothing doing, although they manage to draw a penalty as Matt Pope takes an interference call.

Fortunus with a nice shot on net. Moose goalie Machesney is looking solid so far.

…and I lose the rest of the PK thanks to my roommate unplugging the wireless router. Looks like no score and the Moose took another penalty while I was getting back online? Not sure.

Moose being outshot 10-1 so far. This period has been all Stars so far, looking like a continuation of the third period of last game.

Mike Keane with the 2nd shot on net.

Showing some local fans on the Jumbotron. The Skellys has a dude with an awesome ZZ TOP beard. Rock on.

Walsky starts a great offensive flurry and draws a penalty as Peters gives him the reach-around. Moose to the PP. Let’s see if they can get something going.

Looks like Shirokov has the slot staked out as ‘his spot’ tonight. Hovering around there rather than the sideboards like he was last game. Showing good instincts.

LABRIE with another chance right in front of the net and nothing doing. This guy has hands of crumbling stone. Ugh.

Oberg rips one right into Rallo who is limping a bit out there.

Great control by the Moose in the offensive zone, but I’d like to see something to show for their efforts. Moose now being outshot 10-5 and the penalty is over.

Stars (I keep wanting to type Dallas) force a turnover and Machesney has to be sharp. Yikes, I think that was Collins who gave it up, he got hit by Wathier (SP)

Walsky gains the zone and has some more great stickhandling in the offensive zone. Man, he’s got the hands, he just needs to start seeing some results.

Saucer pass by Sceivor to Beaudoin gets him in all alone and he solves Machesney, putting the Stars up 1-0 with just under 3 minutes to go in the first.

Grabner with a feed to Rosa with a shot on goal. Shirokov, Grabner and Rosa been rather quiet tonight, haven’t really noticed Grabner at all tonight. Grabner with another shot on net there. Maybe that goal woke him up.

Some more action from that line in the last minute. Grabner with another shot, although he’s not exactly looking dangerous out there. Maybe the freezing cold is getting to him. You know, because it’s cold. In Winnipeg. During the w-okay, I’ll stop.

That does it for the first. Moose trail 1-0.

Second Period

Second Period

It’s the second period and yes, it’s still cold outside the MTS Center. Thanks for the update, announcer guy!

Stars draw a penalty right at the start of the second. Moose to the PP.

Moose PP looking pretty disorganized this time around. Not really getting the chance to set up at all.

Looks like PC Labrie is the Moose’s version of Bernier: big guy who stands in front of the net and doesn’t do much else. Actually, that’s sort of an insult to Bernier, who is capable of scoring on occasion.

Yeah, nothing doing for the Moose so far, no real scoring chances here. Moose looking out of sorts, chasing the stars.

…and it bites them. Stars dump the puck in, beat the Moose to the puck and Fabian Brunnstrom beats Machesney gloveside with a lazerbeam of a shot.

Brunnstrom out all alone in the high slot there. Man, what the hell, Moose.

And now Desbiens is going to sit for 2 for hooking. Wonderful!

Stars with only one real chance on this powerplay as Machesney bounces one off his mask. Oh, there’s another, as he makes a glove save. Penalty killed.

Moose have closed the gap in shots at least: 17-12 in favor of the Stars still.

FINALLY! Maxwell with a blind pass finds Sergei Shirokov right out front as he taps it in and puts the Moose on the board. 2-1. Looks like his decision to camp out in the slot is paying off tonight. ;p

Oberg and Maxwell both draw assists.

LABRIE decides to perform his mating ritual with the boards and he nails them, missing a Stars player who ducked out of the way.

Announcer: “GRABNER WITH A GREAT LEFT KICK PAD SAVE BLAARRRUHGUGH.”

Translation: Grabner comes dancing in and fires off a nifty wrister, but the Texas goalie managed make the save.

Moose starting to come on here, good to see.

Machesney has to still stay sharp, though.

GOAL! Manitoba comes firing right back. Oberg blasts the puck on net and Desbiens pounces on the rebound. Oberg with 2 points on the night so far and is looking real good. It’s all twos! 2-2 in the 2nd!

AND AGAIN! Grabner, who’s been quiet for most of this game scores a BEAUTIFUL goal off a feed from Shirokov who was coming out from behind the Stars net. That’d put him at 7g in 9 games played. Shirokov and Rosa both get the helpers. Moose lead 3-2.

Great goal from Grabner here.

Walsky with a rare turnover, after some nice wheeling and dealing in his own end. Dallas gets a shot and…Walsky takes it right back, thankyouverymuch. Shot on net and the Stars go right back. Things have picked up significantly in the second. Great pace.

Grabner with another wonderful chance now, but unable to get his second of the night.

Top line seems to be taking fairly long shifts, which is odd, given how much discipline coach Scott Arniel preaches about short shifts. Might just be my imagination, though.

We’re almost through the second period and the announcer has only made one comment about the weather.

He appears to have found a new obsession, though: broken sticks. There have been FOUUUUUUUUUUUUR broken sticks in this game. That’s as many as four ones. That’s TERRIBLE.

Sorry, action’s died down a bit here in the dying stages of the second. I need to find some way to amuse myself.

Grabner shows some nice patience, dancing in, fakes and then shoots. No goal, but some nice moves.

Haven’t seen/heard much from Bliznak tonight, for anyone wondering.

Stars with one last shot on goal to close things out for the second.

Intermission had an interview with Sawada where he and the announcer talked about…yup, you guess it, the weather. Oh, Munz, why hast thou forsaken me?

Third Period

Third period is a go. Beautiful Machesney glove save as he fall down, go boom making it.

On ice crew has to make repairs, so the announcer decides to talk about the weather.

Moose trading possesion with the Stars, not a whole lot going on with either side. At least the Moose are trying to force it a bit more this time around.

Stars with a couple of shots on goal now, Machesney looking good holding the fort.

Course I might’ve spoken a little too soon. Stars tie it up from a Travis Morin goal. 3 all in the third.

Jeez and the Moose now getting really pressured now. Brunnstrom with another hard shot on goal. There’s still a period left to play guys!

Machesney seeing some more action. Sawada decides to plow over him as he tried to shove in the puck.

He continues to see some more puck as Trevor Ludwig gets a shot and takes a hit to keep the play alive in the Moose end.

And…LABRIE leads the rush?! Oh god.

Nothing doing here.

Walsky doing a great Mason Raymond as he skates like mad (though not as fast) and tries to squeeze past a Stars defender along the boards. True to the Raymond of old, he gives up the puck while doing so.

Rallo gets rocked out in front of the Manitoba net and lays there, looking as though he was trying to get a penalty called. Funny how quick he got up and skated down to his own end when play continued. Heh heh.

DESBIENS with the best chance for the Moose as he gets off a quick shot. Ford is sharp, though, and matches him.

Uggggh. Travis Morin with another goal puts the Moose down by one late in the third. 4-3 Stars. Machesney totally beaten there as it goes high blocker. The way the Stars had been playing in the third, it was just a matter of time.

Not much time left for the Moose to try and manufacture a tie.

Goalie is pulled…Shirokov flitting around the sideboards, rifles the puck around the back and MIKE KEANE scores with FORTY FOUR seconds left! Way to keep me in suspense boys!

BONUS PERIOD (Overtime)

Shirokov with some fancy footwork as he loses his glove and gets his skate out to help deflect a Stars shot on goal. Not much else really going on.

Bliznak out there as well. I think that’s the second time I’ve heard him mentioned/seen him do anything of note. Not necessarily a bad thing when he’s serving in a checker role (I think…still learning my Moose lines.)

OT is about as boring as my love life: nothing happening. About a minute left to go til the shootout. Sigh. I’m stuck with this announcer and his fascination with Winnipeg weather until the bitter end.

Shootout

Vishnevsky scores.

Rosa up, toe drag, hangs ten and surfs his way to another goal. Ford’s jock somewhere in the upper deck.

Brunnstrom up, Machesney sticks with him all the way as he goes forehand/backhand/forehand, stoning him.

Grabner, skates in and tries to snipe it but shoots it wide.

Greg Rallo up next. Hits nothing but POST. Still even at 1.

Mike Keane is up. Poke check by Ford denies him.

Rallo up again? Huh, clearly I missed something. Doesn’t score.

Shirokov skates, dekes and tries to go short side and hits POST. Damn, that was close. Shirokov can pick his spots.

Landon Wilson up now, tries to go wide but he loses the handle on the puck.

Marty Murray with a chance to win….goes backhand and SCORES. Thus ends my purgatory having to listen to you Mr. Texas Stars guy. My advice? Try out for the Weather Network. Oi!

5-4 final for the Moose with some great late third period heroics from the timeless Mike Keane. Somewhat boring game, but had a nice finish!