MOOSE NOTEBOOK: Manitoba Not Panicking After 1-5 Start

WINNIPEG, Mantioba -- After coming up empty handed in their last two back-to-back series’ against the Toronto Marlies and Iowa Wild, the Manitoba Moose are certainly dissatisfied with their 1-5-0-0 record to start off the 2019-2020 season, but they’re not panicking.

“We feel like we can compete with anyone,” Peter Stoykewych, the Moose’s captain, said after Saturdays 4-2 loss to the Wild.

Even after losing four straight games, a resounding sense of confidence remains within the Winnipeg Jets’ AHL affiliate. And it’s palpable.

To the naked eye, that could be seen as puzzling.

However, these Moose - the majority of whom were a part of the 2018-2019 Moose who climbed from the basement of the AHL’s standings in the first half of the season to finishing two points shy of a playoff spot, thanks to a 23-14-3-2 run to end their season - wholeheartedly believe in their abilities.

“We’ll be competitive,” Logan Shaw told InsideAHLHockey.com at the Moose’s Wednesday morning practice. “If it’s not right now, then it’s going to be [eventually] because things will change.”

The Moose’s optimism isn’t ill-advised. In reality, they were a lot closer in those two-game sets than a quick scan of the box scores will tell you. And to understand how these two weekends unfolded, some perspective is necessary.

For starters, let’s look at the Toronto series.

The Marlies are comprised of an elite blend of quality prospects and fringe NHL players. They are four lines deep, three D-pairings deep and a team that has two net minders that can win them games.

Oh, and the Marlies haven’t lost a game yet (6-0-0-0) this season. The Moose had a promising showing in their October 11 home opener, falling 3-2 to the Marlies in a game where Manitoba was out shot by a mere 23-22 margin and, save for a sloppy first period, were neck-and-neck with the Marlies.

“We had an opportunity to win a game [Friday night] and then we blew it,” defenceman Cameron Schilling told reporters after the weekend series wrapped up.

Manitoba’s lack of depth would be exposed in the second game of the series. With Sami Niku, the teams’ number one defenceman and power play quarterback, withheld from game two of the series after re-aggravating his lower body injury and backup goalie Adam Carlson between the pipes—the Moose looked like a different team. They lost 4-0 after being out shot 33-23.

“From the very start of the game, we just didn’t have it,” Schilling said after the loss.

Then came the Iowa series, where a quick scan at the box score could leave one to believe the the Moose were downright dominated, having been outscored 10-6 and outshot 80-58 in two games. But really, this series came down to special teams.

At even-strength, the Moose were only outscored 6-3 and outshot 61-53. They took a combined 16 (!) penalties in those two games, tiring their players out at key moments in the game while giving Berdin a plethora of unnecessary 4-on-5’s.

“It’s a special teams league,” Stoykewych said. “A lot of the times, if you look at the numbers—the team that wins the special teams battle will win the game.”

It should be noted, though, that the Moose’s blue-line was heavily depleted that weekend.

Niku missed both games that weekend, Schilling was injured in the first period of game one and didn’t return for the remainder of the game and Logan Stanley was injured in the second period of game one and never returned (Vincent said on Wednesday he’ll miss the next four weeks).

The quantity of penalties was downright unacceptable. But if you look at the way the Moose fared at even-strength that weekend, given their depleted blue-line (which as it’s currently constructed, isn’t all that strong to begin with), there’s plenty to be optimistic about.

Furthermore, if any team knows how much a teams’ fortunes can change within the span of a 76-game season, it’s these Moose. An AHL season is a marathon, not a sprint.

Slow Start for Vesalainen

Save for two secondary assists, Kristian Vesalainen has been relatively quiet throughout the Moose’s first six games of the season.

While skating alongside Cj Suess and Seth Griffith in the early-goings of this season, Vesalainen hasn’t been showed to be the game-breaker that the Moose believe he can be, just yet. Averaging a mere 1.5 shots per game, Vesalainen hasn’t had many grade-A scoring chances. Frankly, he has looked rather disengaged.

“Sometimes those guys they come in and they’re obviously really gifted with the puck, but there’s definitely a level, where you can be really good playing without the puck—having body position on guys and making sure if there’s a rebound, you’re getting the first touch on it and stuff like that,” forward JC Lipon told InsideAHLHockey.com in an October 14th practice interview.

Ahead of the teams’ upcoming series against the Grand Rapids Griffins, Vincent changed the makeup of his top-six.

“Part of it is [about] getting Vesalainen going,” admitted Vincent.

Moose forward lines

Vesalainen - Shaw -Lipon Suess - Spacek - Griffith Chibisov - Harkins - PoirerLuoto - Maier - White

Poirer skated on the teams’ third line in wake of Skyler Mckenzie’s absence.

Shaw, who leads all Manitoba scorers with five points, and Lipon, arguably the teams’ most consistent player night-in and night-out, play a hard-nosed style of game that hopefully helps light a fire under Vesalainen.

Kovacevic’s Killing It

22-year-old defenceman Jonathan Kovacevic, a third round draft pick by the Jets in 2017, has made quite the impression on Vincent over the last three games.

“He doesn't look like a first year pro,” said Vincent. “His game is pretty simple but pretty effective.”

Kovacevic, listed at 6’5 219lb, is a right-shot defender who possesses a strong hockey IQ. He’s not flashy, but he seems to always be in the right spots and make the appropriate play. The Grimsby ONT native may have came out of the woodwork, in his first pro season, but his performance thus far, along with the Moose’s plethora of injuries on the backend, have lead to him skating alongside Schilling during this past week of practice.

“I don’t care about age. I really don’t,” Vincent insisted. “I’ve never been that kind of coach where it depends how old you are. Can you play? Or not?”

At least for now, it appears Kovacevic can play. And for an organization like the Jets that is starved for right-handed defenceman, Kovacevic’s progression is worth keeping track of.