The Manitoba Moose fell 2-1 in overtime to the Texas Stars on Sunday afternoon, handing Texas its first win of the season and extending Manitoba’s inconsistent start. The loss drops the Moose to 3-4-2-0, just one point ahead of the Iowa Wild for the final playoff spot in the Central Division.

Sunday’s game started slowly, with neither team able to find the back of the net in the first period. Four minutes into the second, Texas winger Samu Tuomaala opened the scoring after a pass intended for a teammate deflected off a Moose defender and slid past goaltender Thomas Milic. Texas netminder Remi Poirier turned aside every shot he faced through two periods, while Milic kept the Moose close with a strong performance of his own.

Manitoba finally broke through five minutes into the third period when defenseman Kale Clague fired a point shot that beat Poirier to tie the game at 1-1. The equalizer was all the offense the Moose could muster in regulation, setting up overtime. Just 30 seconds into the extra frame, Texas forward Artem Shlaine capitalized on a loose puck in a net-front scramble to give the Stars their first victory of the year.

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The Moose have now recorded points in four straight games, but their offensive woes remain a major concern. Manitoba has scored just 20 goals through nine games, ranking among the bottom seven teams in the AHL. Their defense has held up reasonably well, allowing 28 goals, but the lack of scoring support has cost them valuable points.

Former NHL forward David Gustafsson leads the team with six points in eight games, followed by Phillip Di Giuseppe and Mason Shaw with five apiece. Prospects Brayden Yager and Colby Barlow, both first-round picks expected to become key pieces of the Winnipeg Jets’ future, are adjusting to the pro game. Yager has four points in nine games, while Barlow has just one.

Between the pipes, the Moose have relied on a solid tandem. Domenic DiVincentiis owns a 2-3-0 record with a 3.45 goals-against average and a .891 save percentage, while Milic has bounced back from a rough rookie campaign with a 1-1-2 record, a 2.27 goals-against average, a .912 save percentage, and one shutout. Special teams have been another area of concern with Manitoba’s power play sits near the bottom of the league at just 15.4 per cent, while their penalty kill operates at 77.8 per cent.

With only five teams from the Central Division qualifying for the Calder Cup Playoffs, the Moose will need to find their scoring touch soon if they hope to stay in the postseason hunt. The American Hockey League’s playoff field includes 23 teams: six from the Atlantic Division, five each from the North and Central Divisions, and seven from the Pacific Division.

Manitoba will have a chance to bounce back in the second leg of their back-to-back against the Texas Stars on captain Mason Shaw's birthday Monday night at 7:00 p.m. CST. Fans can catch the action live on AHL.TV via FloHockey.tv or listen in on 680 CJOB. 

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