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![\"BROOK](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/4198655_web1_BJ-20260502ManitobaMooseVsGrandRapidsGriffins02.jpg\")
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BROOK JONES \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
Manitoba captain Mason Shaw (right) is the only Moose to bulge the twine so far this series against the Grand Rapids Griffins. Shaw scored the game-winning goal on Saturday as the Moose took Game 1.<\/p>\n
Two of the three goals have come on the power play, while the Griffins have tallied the lone marker at even strength, and that came with just over five minutes to go in Game 2.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only way that we have a chance to beat these guys is to defend. And we\u2019ve done a good job with that for the most part,\u201d said Moose head coach Mark Morrison. \u201cI thought they had one or two too many chances in the slot (on Sunday). But we\u2019ll clean that up and we\u2019ll go after them again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morrison is bang on in his assessment as the best chance of success for the Moose is to continue to be sound defensively while limiting the secondary opportunities in front of Domenic DiVincentiis. The netminder has turned aside 71 of 73 shots he\u2019s faced in the series and is sporting a 1.02 goals-against average and .968 save percentage through four starts.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s clear DiVincentiis benefited from his time up with the Jets, even though Connor Hellebuyck\u2019s speedy recovery prevented him from making his NHL debut.<\/p>\n
The goaltending has been stellar for the Griffins as well with Michal Postava making 52 saves on 53 shots on the goals he\u2019s faced.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were top five in offence, so I think we\u2019re doing a good job. Obviously, we\u2019ve got to get more pucks on their net and bury our chances,\u201d said Moose forward Phil Di Giuseppe. \u201cBut I\u2019m proud of the effort and compete level. I thought our goaltending has been outstanding and everybody has bought in. So, I like where we\u2019re at.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Manitoba club\u2019s personnel have plenty of reasons to like where they\u2019re at, but they\u2019ll likely need to find an even higher level in order to secure the two road victories that will be required to move on to the next round.<\/p>\n
The Griffins set a franchise record in their 30th season \u2014 and 25th in the American Hockey League \u2014 by going 51-16-4-1, which left them second overall and on top of the Western Conference. The club is a juggernaut that went 29-1-1-1 to start the 2025-26 campaign and 24-9-3 on home ice during the regular season.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t JOHN WOODS \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n The Manitoba Moose need to solve Grand Rapids Griffins goaltender Michal Postava (35) to advance to the Central Division final. Forward Brad Lambert (13) could be the Moose to do just that, but has yet to score so far in the Calder Cup playoffs.<\/p>\n Though it\u2019s been clear so far as to why the Moose didn\u2019t exactly embrace the underdog role going into this series. At this stage of the season, most of the stats and trends go out the window and it all comes down to which team is able to execute best under pressure.<\/p>\n And when two teams are about to battle for the 11th time (with as many as two more games to go if the series goes the distance), the intensity is sure to ratchet up even more.<\/p>\n \u201cAs the rounds go on, it gets chippy. Obviously there\u2019s emotions,\u201d said Di Giuseppe, who helped the Abbotsford Canucks capture the Calder Cup last spring. \u201cFor us, I don\u2019t expect it to change.\u201d<\/p>\n With just six goals for and eight against (though four of the against came in Game 1 against the Milwaukee Admirals) in five games so far, the Moose will be searching for ways to make life a bit more difficult on Postava.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to get bodies to the net, we want to get pucks there,\u201d said Moose defenceman Tyrel Bauer. \u201cWhen we have plays to make, make our plays and find a way to beat the goaltender. We\u2019re going to keep working hard though.\u201d<\/p>\n Moose captain Mason Shaw is the only guy to bulge the twine this series so it\u2019s clear a number of different players need to get going offensively.<\/p>\n The Moose are a four-line team that isn\u2019t reliant on one or two players to carry them, but Brad Lambert is one of the guys on the roster with game-breaking potential and he\u2019s been held off the scoresheet in each of the five Calder Cup playoff games he\u2019s suited up in this spring.<\/p>\n Morrison made some tweaks to his lines in the second and third periods in Game 2 in an effort to try and help spark a bit more offence from Lambert, who also went without a point in his final five NHL games of the season with the Jets.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t JOHN WOODS \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n Manitoba Moose netminder Domenic DiVincentiis (left) has stopped 71 of 73 shots so far in the best-of-five Central Division semifinal series against Grand Rapids, including shutting out the Griffins in Game 1 on Saturday. <\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t Lambert was praised by Morrison earlier in the playoffs for his puck management and he\u2019s worked hard this season to round out his overall game. But in a series with the slimmest of margins, Lambert is someone to keep a close eye on.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Postava doesn\u2019t have the first round draft pick pedigree that Sebastian Cossa (chosen 15th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in 2021) has, but the unsigned free agent was solid down the stretch for the Griffins and he\u2019s performing like he did when he helped his Czechia league team to a championship last spring.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s our backbone right now,\u201d Griffins head coach Dan Watson said in a post-Game 2 interview posted to the team\u2019s website.<\/p>\n \u201cHe made another breakaway save (on Brayden Yager) and a couple of big sprawling saves when they go east-west with quick shots. They\u2019ve got guys that can score. But he\u2019s very confident in himself right now and our team is very confident in him in the net. He\u2019s playing extremely well right now.\u201d<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/kenwiebe<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Ken Wiebe Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, Sportsnet.ca and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Ken produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.<\/p>\n \t\t
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