Winnipeg's AHL Moose aim to upset the Eastern Conference-leading Laval Rocket in the second game of their back-to-back series this Sunday.
The Manitoba Moose pulled off a surprising upset Friday when they beat the best in the East from last season in the Laval Rocket.
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Leading the way for the Moose was preseason breakout Danny Zhilkin, who scored and dished for an assist in a two-point outing. It was stellar night for Jets prospects as Brayden Yager scored just minutes into his pro hockey debut while Colby Barlow and Elias Salomonsson both recorded assists.
In an unexpected twist, Montreal's goalie prospect Jacob Fowler, who is widely considered one of the best young netminders in the game, was outdone by Winnipeg's top goalie prospect in Domenic Divincentiis. Fowler allowed four goals with 27 saves on 31 shots while Divincentiis allowed just one goal and made a stunning 36 saves.
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Still thinking about last night 😌
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The Moose put forth a complete team effort in the win with nine different players recording a point and will look to replicate their success Sunday afternoon when taking on Laval in the second leg of a back-to-back.
After finishing with 48-19-3-2 record last season, the Rocket won the the MacGregor Kilpatrick Trophy as AHL regular season champions under coach Pascal Vincent. They continued their success into the postseason where they went all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the Charlotte Checkers.
Former Minnesota Wild Forward Tabbed as New Captain of Winnipeg's AHL Moose
Winnipeg's AHL Moose name veteran forward Mason Shaw as the 13th team captain in franchise history on Thursday.
They head into the new season without their former ace in net, Cayden Primeau, who was claimed off waivers by the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 26-year-old goaltender put up an incredible 21-2-2 record last season, along with a stellar 1.96 goals-against average, numbers the Rocket will sorely miss. Now, the pressure falls on Fowler to step in and fill some very big shoes.
For the Moose, Netminder Thomas Milic may swap in for his first start after a difficult 2024-25 season in which he finished with a 5-12-4 record, 3.44 goals against average and a .877 through 21 AHL appearances. The 22-year-old BC native was once regarded as one of the best rising prospects in the Jets pipeline but has since seen some bumps in the road with a win against a solid Laval team going a long way.
Puck drops for round two of this David versus Goliath matchup at 2:00 p.m. CT with coverage available on AHL.TV via Flohockey.tv or on radio station 680 CJOB.