The Moose begin their 3 game road trip later tonight. Unfortunately, the Moose are going to be going into these match-ups light Brad Moran and Colby Genoway. Good old Gary Lawless, from the Winnipeg Free Press, has more information on this matter. Of note is that the Moose have signed centerman Aaron Slattengren to a pro tryout contract. With Gajic now pivoting the top line for the Moose, it'll be interesting set of games for this club. Shannon hasn't hit 100% out there, so I see him and Gajic competing with one another for prime ice time.
As I've stated previously, now is a prime time for the rookies on the team to start asserting themselves. Grabner, I believe, has been stepping it up and trying to find ways to put the puck in the net, but is having a hell of a time of it. The rest of the forwards really do need to do something to distinguish themselves. I also wouldn't mind having more of a focus put on the blueline and hopefully Scott Arniel will try to get the defense to contribute more offensively. With snipers like FitzGerald (*cough*) as well as gentlemen like Heshka, Bourdon, Fortunus and McIver on the backend either having the proper skillset or playing lively (as in McIver's case) it wouldn't seem to be too much to ask. The Moose are now pretty well acquainted with the Bulldogs and are going to have a hell of a time with Halak. Hopefully Drew MacIntyre won't be suffering the effects of the holiday turkey dinner and 'flavored' eggnog.
I'm sorry for the sparseness of the past couple of entries, although that's been a result of not having much actual footage to be relying upon. That trend will continue until Friday, as I'll be flying home tomorrow during the Moose game, sadly, not on Virgin Air. What I am hoping for is that Ryan Shannon and Michael Grabner will be able to distinguish themselves, while Gajic continues to do a diligent job, keeping him up from the Salmon Kings. I also believe that the Moose are going to come up smelling like roses on this road trip, with them getting at least 5 out of a possible 6 points. Lofty, I know, but I have high hopes.
In related news, former Moose forward Ryan Kesler is questionable for the Vancouver Canucks game against the Calgary Flames later tonight, so that most likely means that Mike Brown will be drawing into the lineup. This also means that Brown might be given a chance to have an increased role on the team, as Kesler has been on the penalty killing unit and has been quite an effective one. Hopefully the youngster will be able to make the most of it and run with it. As well, Jason Jaffray or Mason Raymond might be seeing more time on the powerplay, as Kesler was spending some time with the Sedins on the man advantage, in an effort by head coach Alain Vigneault to try and spark some offense. Both callups have been performing quite well, with Raymond notching 6 points in 7 games since recalled by the Canucks. Jaffray has notched only 2 points in 7 games, although he did have a beauty of a goal disallowed against Dallas and has been showing the right instincts out there. I would love to see Jaffray with the Sedins and I'm hoping he'll have a big game against Calgary tonight.
News & Notes
- Part of Lawless' article, talking about Aaron Slattengren, has been split up and can be read here.
- Tim Campbell has an interesting piece on the relationship between the Canucks and the Moose. What caught my eye on this was Nonis stating that he believes that the MTS Center is an 'NHL building.'
- Campbell also has a story on the call-up process. He also writes on the state of AHL and NHL teams and the relationships they have with one another. Interesting read, for those wanting to learn more about the A.
- The Winnipeg Sun has a nice fluff piece on Luc Bourdon. Gotta respect his work ethic and what he's done to become a professional hockey player.
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