Winnipeg, MB. – The Manitoba Moose beat the Belleville Senators 7 to 3 in the first of three games on the road.

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The Senators tried to set the tone for the game scoring 49 seconds into the first period off the stick of Gabriel Gagne. Following the early push from the home side, the Moose started to pull momentum in their favour. After Buddy Robinson hammered a shorthanded chance off the post, the former Senator set up Brendan Lemieux for a redirection, tying the game 8:53 into the period. Following a Manitoba power play, Robinson tipped a Mike Sgarbossa point shot past Belleville netminder Andrew Hammond for a 2-1 Moose lead at 14:20. After allowing the opening goal, Eric Comrie stopped the next nine shots he faced as Manitoba took a 2-1 lead to the break.

Manitoba extended its lead 3:38 into the period with a power play tally. Mason Appleton tipped a Sami Niku point shot up and over Hammond for his 10th on the season. The visitors looked to be in control of the contest until their two-goal lead vanished in a span of nine seconds. The Senators cashed in on a late power play as Filip Chlapik finished off a quick passing play with a perfect shot to the top corner of the Moose goal. Off the restart, Max McCormick drove to the net and tapped in a Gabriel Gagne centering feed to tie the game with 1:09 left in the period and send the game to the third tied 3-3.

Belleville seemed to have the momentum heading to the third period, but the Moose turned things around on the Senators in a hurry. Patrice Cormier put the Moose back in front 2:54 into the third, cashing in a rebound at the top of the crease and the charge was just getting started. With the Moose on the power play, Sami Niku snuck down from the point and popped in an Appleton pass from the back door to make it 5-3 at 5:45. Cormier struck for his second at 7:06 of the period, tipping in a Charles-David Beaudoin point shot. Cameron Schilling capped off the run 10 minutes into the period with a slick finish after being set up by Robinson on a two-on-one. The Moose cruised from there, picking up the 7-3 victory, their fourth straight on the road.

The Manitoba Moose Hockey Club

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