Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/manitoba-moose/ahl-seeing-brand-new- moose-451031353.html

AHL seeing brand-new Moose Improved team beats Cleveland Monsters 4-1

By: Mike Sawatzky

The Moose didn’t just get a makeover for 2017-18.

If you factor in the 15 players on the current roster who did not play regularly for the Moose last season last season, it’s pretty clear this squad has undergone a radical facelift.

Sure, second-year pros such as Jack Roslovic and Kyle Connor are still the offensive engine of the team, but with a wave of fresh talent looking to contribute and better production from returnees such as Brendan Lemieux, the Moose should be better than the bunch that finished seventh of eight teams in the Central Division in 2016-17.

Lemieux scored once on the power play and added an empty-netter to lead Manitoba to a 4-1 triumph over the Cleveland Monsters at Bell MTS Place on Sunday afternoon. Rookie pro Jansen Harkins, making his season debut, and Connor, with his third in four games, also scored for the hosts, who improved to 2-2-0-0.

"I’m playing a lot more, so there’s more confidence that comes with that," said the 21-year-old Lemieux, who has three goals and five points in four games.

"So, I knew coming into this league what kind of player I could be and I think I’m getting to the direction I want to be. I’m not there yet, but close. Getting closer every day. The speed thing was important and it’s there. And conditioning aspect of things is there, so it feels good to end games with gas in the tank."

The game had some added significance.

With Manitoba’s parent club down a pair of veteran forwards (’s Mathieu Perreault and Adam Lowry are both sidelined with injuries), the press box was filled with members of the Jets’ brain trust. Winnipeg head coach Paul Maurice and his entire coaching staff, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff and assistant GM Larry Simmons were all in attendance, considering perhaps which AHL forward might be ripe for recall.

At least eight NHL scouts were also in attendance.

Among the promotion candidates could be Michael Sgarbossa and Buddy Robinson, who both signed one-way contracts with the Jets in the off-season.

The 6-6, 232-pound Robinson, playing on a line with Harkins and Patrice Cormier, made a very good account of himself Sunday. His heady play created a turnover that led to Manitoba’s first and he was productive on special teams, helping the Moose kill off all five Cleveland power plays.

"I’m just going day by day here," said the 26-year-old product of Bellmawr, N.J.

"I’m an older guy in this dressing room — I’m trying to lead by example. If the day comes that I’m called up by the Jets, I’m just going to do the same things I’m doing here. I’m going to go in there, have some experience and play as hard as I can on the defensive side and be really responsible.

"I’m a big body and I obviously can use my speed, I’ve been told I can skate pretty well for a big guy... I take a lot of pride in the PK. Our goal wasn’t on the PK, but came at the end of it. I had a little bit of chemistry with Harks and Corms for the whole game."

Robinson’s contributions did not go unnoticed.

"I really liked his game," Moose head coach Pascal Vincent said.

"He’s got a long reach. He’s a smart player. He’s a mistake-free kind of guy. His body positioning, he’s using his body in a good way to defend and he’s got a good stick — he’ll knock some pucks down. He’s got a real good awareness of where he should be on the forecheck. So, when he plays like this, he’s a big plus for our team."

Sgarbossa started the season with two goals and four points in three games. He went pointless Sunday but had a prominent role centring Lemieux and rookie Mason Appleton.

"I don’t think guys are looking for that," said Sgarbossa of the opportunities for being recalled by the NHL.

"I mean, they shouldn’t be because the focus should be on the game. I mean, there are going to be scouts at every game, so you never know when someone’s looking. It’s not just about your own team, it could be other teams as well. It’s always a tryout, especially when you’re in the AHL. You try to get a call-up and make a name for yourself, but when you play on Sundays like that and it’s a 2 o’clock game, scouts tend to go to nice rinks, so that’s a little bit of advice for some young guys."

Eric Comrie was sharp in the Moose net, making 28 saves. Cleveland Matiss Kivlenieks stopped 31 shots.

John Mitchell had the lone goal for the Monsters, who fell to 1-2-0-0.

NOTEWORTHY: Announced three stars were 1. Lemieux; 2. Harkins; and 3. Comrie.

Former Jets defenceman Mark Stuart has signed a one-year deal with in Germany. His teammates include goaltender Chet Pickard, a goaltender, and another former Jet, forward Devin Setoguchi. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/hellebuyck-steps-up--game- 451017943.html

Hellebuyck steps up Winnipeg's game Jets win three in a row after goalie replaces Mason between pipes

By: Mike McIntyre

It is the most surprising development of this young season for the . And it’s creating an interesting dilemma for the team’s deep thinkers.

Steve Mason, the prized free-agent signing over the summer meant to stabilize a shaky goalie situation, has quickly been overshadowed and pushed to the bench by the strong play of Connor Hellebuyck.

Winnipeg has rattled off three straight wins with Hellebuyck in net, surrendering just five goals in the process. Hellebuyck has stopped 95 of the 100 shots he’s faced in that span.

"I’ve been working all summer for this," he said following Saturday night’s impressive 28-save performance in his team’s 2-1 win over Carolina.

"I wanted to start with getting my confidence back and getting my poise back in the net. Then I got a new trainer and he was teaching me about the biomechanics and how the body moves and all that, so I was really learning how to become faster and more set, more square. It fit perfectly for my game."

It certainly shows.

"He’s taken a huge step," forward Nikolaj Ehlers said Saturday night. "He’s kept us in the games, he’s given us a chance to win. That’s what we needed. It’s great for him, great for us."

Mason was the anointed starter out of training camp, but he didn’t exactly come bursting out of the starting blocks with his new team. He was pulled early in the third period of the season- opening 7-2 loss to Toronto, then struggled a few nights later as the Jets were thumped 6-3 by Calgary in their first road game.

The Jets turned to Hellebuyck last Monday in Edmonton, likely thinking it would just provide a one-game breather to Mason. But Hellebuyck was fantastic in keeping the high-flying Oilers in check as his team snapped their losing skid with a 5-2 win. He carried that momentum into Vancouver and a 4-2 victory, then made it three in a row back home on Saturday night.

So how do you take the crease away from him?

Mason is no doubt chomping at the bit waiting to try and redeem himself. And the organization certainly didn’t hand out a US$4.1-million contract over the next two seasons with the idea that Mason would spend extended time on the bench. The thinking was Hellebuyck struggled last year without much of a safety net in place, so bringing in an experienced starter like Mason would buy everyone some more time.

Is it possible that time has arrived quicker than anyone anticipated? One good week, of course, hardly makes a season. And things can change in a hurry. But Hellebuyck is certainly playing with the poise right now of a No. 1 goalie.

"He’s a little bit more comfortable and confident because it isn’t quite the storm of odd-man rushes at him or back door tap-ins. Goalies are players just like players are, so when an offensive guy isn’t putting the puck in the net, maybe he’s not feeling so confident about himself. The same is true for goalies. We’re trying to let him see pucks and you can see his confidence growing," captain Blake Wheeler said following Saturday’s game.

And there’s the rub. Perhaps Hellebuyck would have been just as exposed as Mason was had he started those first two games, considering how loosey-goosey they appeared to be playing defensively. (It’s worth noting Hellebuyck was beaten for two third-period goals in the first game against Toronto after Mason was yanked following the first five.)

The Jets have said they’re all in this season to make a playoff push, so one would think playing the hot hand would trump any other considerations.

Head coach Paul Maurice admitted prior to Saturday’s game that Hellebuyck has earned the opportunity. However, he hinted Mason may get his next shot sooner rather than later, saying they would "look at him for Columbus." The Jets host the Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.

Winnipeg’s early schedule is also conducive to riding one goalie. There have been multiple off- days and no back-to-backs, meaning fatigue certainly isn’t an issue. But it also makes it difficult to find enough work for both men.

For example, if Mason were to start Tuesday, the next Jets game isn’t until Friday against Minnesota. Would the team really want red-hot Hellebuyck to go almost a full week between starts? But if Mason were to sit again, he’d be looking at nearly two weeks between appearances at the minimum.

Hellebuyck insists he isn’t worried, choosing to focus on things he can control — namely, stopping as many pucks as possible whenever his number is called.

"It doesn’t just happen in games, it happens in practices and my work habits and being ready every day. If I’m having a bad day, I got to come back the next day and really ramp it up," he said. "That’s what I needed to learn in becoming a pro, along with learning the new style I’m talking about over the summer. It’s the perfect fit for this."

Sportsnet.ca http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/three-three-connor-hellebuyck-taking-winnipeg/

Three up, three down: Connor Hellebuyck taking over in Winnipeg

By Steve Laidlaw

Welcome to the fantasy hockey stock market. Each week we will look at three players trending up and three players trending down.

Three Up

Connor Hellebuyck – G – Jets – 3 Wins, 0 Losses, 7 Goals Against, 4 Games We noted last week that Steve Mason was trending down. Hellebuyck has since jumped into the starting role with three straight wins. It would not be a surprise if these two went back and forth all season but Hellebuyck now has the hammer. He is only a season removed from putting up great numbers as a rookie and boasts immense potential as a starter. Hellebuyck is worth taking for a spin as your No. 3 goaltender. www.moosehockey.com http://moosehockey.com/news/recap-oct1517/

Recap: Cleveland 1 at Moose 4

By Daniel Fink | Published: October 15, 2017

Manitoba Moose (2-2-0-0) vs. Cleveland Monsters (1-2-0-0)

Sunday, October 15, 2017 – Bell MTS Place, Winnipeg, MB

Scoring Summary 1 2 3 F Cleveland Monsters 0 1 0 1 1 1 2 4

Shots By Period 1 2 3 F Cleveland Monsters 9 6 14 29 Manitoba Moose 10 17 8 35

Special Teams PP PK PIM Cleveland Monsters 0/5 5/7 14 Manitoba Moose 2/7 5/5 10

Goaltender Summary Goaltender MIN SA SV Cleveland Monsters Matiss Kivlenieks 57:31 34 31 Manitoba Moose Eric Comrie 59:47 29 28 Goal Summary

P TIME TEAM GOAL ASSIST ASSIST STR SCORE 1 4:01 MB Jansen Harkins (1) Buddy Robinson (2) ES 1-0 MB 2 9:57 CLE John Mitchell (1) ES 1-1 2 15:20 MB Kyle Connor (3) Chase De Leo (2) Jack Roslovic (3) PP 2-1 MB 3 0:46 MB Brendan Lemieux (2) Michael Spacek (2) Sami Niku (4) PP 3-1 MB 3 18:00 MB Brendan Lemieux (3) EN 4-1 MB

Game Story The Manitoba Moose (2-2-0-0) and Cleveland Monsters (1-2-0-0) clashed for the second time this weekend on Sunday afternoon. Manitoba got on the board first for the third straight game. Immediately following a penalty kill, Buddy Robinson stole the puck before chipping it ahead to Jansen Harkins. Playing his first game of the season, Harkins took advantage of the opportunity, scoring on the breakaway 4:01 into the period. The teams traded chances the rest of the frame, but Eric Comrie and Matiss Kivlenieks kept the score to 1-0 after 20 minutes.

Comrie got Bell MTS Place buzzing early in the period with a stunning post-to-post save to keep Cleveland off the board. The Monsters didn’t find a way past the Moose netminder until the midway point of the period when John Mitchell snuck a shot to the back of the net off the rush. The Moose power play helped push the hosts back in front with less than five minutes remaining in the period. Kyle Connor started the play with a cross-ice feed to Jack Roslovic, before getting the puck back on a slick pass from Chase De Leo and tapping it into a mostly open net. The Moose carried the 2-1 edge into the third.

The power play continued to groove early in the period. Brendan Lemieux posted up in front of the net and cleaned up the rebound after a Michael Spacek shot to give the Moose a 3-1 advantage. Manitoba didn’t let Cleveland close the gap, thanks in part to 14 third period saves by Comrie. With time winding down, Lemieux was awarded an empty net goal to put the game away by a 4-1 score.

Quick Hits Jansen Harkins scored on his first shot of the season. Sami Niku is on a three game point streak with four assists over that stretch. Brendan Lemieux notched the first multi-goal game of his AHL career. Attendance was announced at 7,455.

Quotable Head Coach Pascal Vincent – “We were more in control of our defensive game. Not giving too much, especially in the first two periods, even when the game was tied I felt we were in control of where the puck was going.”

Forward Brendan Lemieux – “This year, being healthy has been great. The longer I’m around [hockey], the more I realize it’s about the little details, the way you take care of yourself off the ice that really allows you to stay healthy, so I’ve put a greater focus on that and seeing the fruits of it now.”

What’s Next? The Moose get ready for a back-to-back set against the Wild starting Friday, Oct. 27 in Iowa. Puck drop is slated for 7 p.m. CT. Tune in to moosehockey.com/listenlive starting 15 minutes before game time to hear all the action.