Every team seems to have a woeful pest. For example, the Grand Rapids Griffins and all their success this season lost out in regulation in all four-games against the San Antonio Rampage – a team the Milwaukee Admirals swept in their season series. On the Admirals end of the spectrum there is the Manitoba Moose. They’re the second worst team in the AHL this season based on points percentage yet hold a season series record against the Admirals of 4-1-0-1. It’s just one of those oddities isn’t it?

~Tracking The Moose~

The Moose are already long eliminated from playoff contention in their return season to the AHL. They enter this two-game set with the Admirals holding a record of 23-38-4-5 (55 points) for a 0.393 points percentage. The only team lesser than them in the Central Division, Western Conference, and AHL standings are the Iowa Wild who have a 0.386 points percentage.

While the record isn’t anything special it is worth noting that the Moose have been finding a touch of form. Going back to Valentine’s Day the Moose actually have a 0.500 record by rattling off 11 wins from their last 22 games. Every one of those games was decided in regulation. So that means a very blunt 11-11-0-0 record.

~Who What Now?~

The Moose are currently without their leading scorer and one of the top scoring defensemen in the AHL this season, Brenden Kichton. The 23-year old was recalled to the Winnipeg Jets yesterday.

That wasn’t the only roster news for them yesterday. Brendan Lemieux, the son of Claude Lemieux, was assigned by the Jets from the Windsor Spitfires to the Moose where he is expected to make his professional playing debut. Lemieux is coming off of a junior playing season in the OHL where he produced 48 points (23 goals, 25 assists) in 34 games.

The Moose won’t have their top scorer on the season, sure, but the second man in line just so happens to be the top goal scorer for the Moose in this match up. Chase De Leo has 5 points (4 goals, 1 assist) in 6 games against the Admirals this season. That includes scoring a hat trick back on 12/19/15. He has produced 34 points (16 goals, 18 assists) from 67 games in his rookie season and has a plus/minus rating of -24 and 32 penalty minutes.

In net right now the Moose have their top two guys stationed in camp. Connor Hellebuyck has played in 27 games for the Moose this season, has a 11-14-1-0 record, 2.43 goals against average, 0.924 save percentage, and 4 shutouts. He also has played in 26 games for the Jets at the NHL level this season where he held a 13-11-0-1 record, 2.34 goals against average, 0.918 save percentage, and 2 shutouts. He is followed by the man who really stepped up in his absence for the Moose, Eric Comrie. The 20-year old’s first full-season of pro hockey has seen him earn an AHL All-Star selection and be up among the top rookie goaltenders this entire season. Comrie has played in 43 games, sports a 12-23-7-5 record, has a 3.12 goals against average, 0.908 save percentage, and a shutout.

Expectations for these games in Manitoba? Are you worried that the Admirals, after experiencing the sensation of clinching a playoff spot, might take their eyes off the ball when playing the Moose?

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