The Manitoba Moose (18-30-1-1) dropped a 5-3 decision to the Belleville Senators (24-18-4-4) at CAA Arena on Friday. The Moose were coming off a 3-2 overtime win against the Senators on Wednesday.
The Moose looked to netminder Kaapo Kähkönen to hold the line early in the contest. Kähkönen held the Senators off the board, making nine saves in the first. The clean period allowed Manitoba to grab a 1-0 lead late in the frame with a power play tally. Axel Jonsson-Fjällby got the puck in the circle and snapped it off the post and in for a single-goal lead through 20 minutes.
Manitoba’s power play was granted a full two-minute five-on-three early in the second period. Malcom Subban made three saves and C.J. Suess hit the post as the Senators survived the penalty trouble. Belleville tied the game with eight minutes left in the period as Philippe Daoust knocked in a loose puck for a 1-1 game through 40 minutes. Both Kähkönen and Subban finished the period with eight saves.
Belleville gained the lead two minutes into the third as Keean Washkurak slipped behind the defence and tucked the puck past Kähkönen. The Moose responded seven minutes into the frame when Mark Liwiski set up Ryan Chyzowski for his first goal as a Moose. The deadlock only lasted two minutes as Djibril Toure sniped his first career AHL goal to put Belleville in front 3-2. The Senators then took a 4-2 lead with five to play when Jamieson Rees converted on a partial breakaway. The Moose fired right back 41 seconds later with Dominic Toninato finishing off a pretty passing play from Mason Shaw and Axel Jonsson-Fjällby. Just moments after Toninato’s goal, Carson Golder broke in alone on Subban, who made a glove save to prevent a quick tying tally. Cole Reinhardt added one more Belleville goal into an empty net as the Senators secured a 5-3 victory. Kähkönen finished with 25 saves while Subban stopped 17 Moose chances.
Statbook
- Elias Salomonsson (1A) has four assists over his past two games
- Dominic Toninato (1G) has goals in three consecutive games
- Brad Lambert (1A) has points in three straight games