Winnipeg Jets prospects Nikita Chibrikov, Brayden Yager help carry Manitoba Moose to eighth win in last ten games.
The Manitoba Moose earned a much needed win Sunday, taking down the Chicago Wolves in a thrilling 4–3 shootout victory. The stars came out to play for the Moose as high-end prospects Nikita Chibrikov and Brayden Yager both found the back of the net. Chibrikov stole the spotlight with a highlight reel performance, scoring the Moose’s third goal of the night and later delivering the shootout winner.
Despite the high score, both goaltenders were outstanding. Isaac Poulter made 28 saves on 31 shots after drawing in for Domenic DiVincentiis, who earned a well deserved day off. At the other end, former Toronto Maple Leafs netminder earlier this season, Cayden Primeau, stopped 35 of 38 shots to keep the Wolves in the fight.
The game opened with a defensive stalemate through the first half of the opening period. The breakthrough finally came at the seven minute mark when Manitoba’s lethal second unit struck. The deadly trio of Brad Lambert, Brayden Yager, and the red hot Samuel Fagemo broke out cleanly and attacked the Wolves end with speed.
Fagemo controlled the puck along the wall while Lambert drove into the zone, pulling a defender toward him and leaving Yager wide open in the slot. Yager made no mistake, firing a low shot perfectly placed between Primeau’s pad and glove.
The second period belonged to the Wolves as they clawed their way back. Five minutes in, a spirited fight between Chicago’s Yanick Turcotte and Manitoba’s Tyrel Bauer sparked momentum for the home side. The surge paid off when Felix Unger Sörum scored after collecting his own rebound in front of Poulter.
It was a goal the Moose would like to have back since Unger Sörum was left alone in the netfront for far too long. Chicago then took the lead when Ryan Suzuki redirected a point pass behind Poulter after slipping unnoticed into the slot, a defensive breakdown the Moose immediately regretted.
Former NHL forward Phillip Di Giuseppe pulled Manitoba even midway through the third period before Chibrikov took over the game. Carrying the puck into the zone, he executed a sensational move by sliding it through his legs and around a defender before lifting a backhander through Primeau’s five hole for a stunning highlight reel goal. The Wolves responded late in the frame with a goal from Nikita Pavlychev, who buried a chance in tight to force overtime.
The extra period solved nothing, leading to a shootout where Chibrikov once again rose to the occasion. With confidence and precision, he made a quick move and slipped the puck through Primeau’s five hole for the game winning goal.
The Moose continue to roll with eight wins in their last ten games and will look to keep the momentum going in a mid week rematch against the Wolves on Wednesday in Chicago.
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