Sometimes a little luck and some great goaltending can go a long way.
Defenceman Nolan Baumgartner joined the rush and jammed in a loose puck at 2:49 of overtime to help the Manitoba Moose earn a 2-1 victory over the Hamilton Bulldogs before a crowd of 2,350 at Copps Coliseum last night.
The game featured a showdown between goalies Cory Schneider and Curtis Sanford, who shared the Moose crease for the second half of last season.
Schneider was the busier of the two, finishing with 31 saves and stopping Brandon product Ryan White on a penalty shot at 12:33 of the first period.
As the Moose hit the midway point of a six-game road trip, they are 2-1 on the swing and 6-3 overall.
The two teams meet again tonight at 6:35 p.m.
Playing on a newly-constructed top line with veterans Marty Murry and Matt Pettinger, Russian rookie Sergei Shirokov broke a scoreless deadlock at 6:43 of the third period.
After racking up seven points in his first four American Hockey League games, Shirokov was held off the score sheet in two games against the Lake Erie Monsters before coming through with his third goal and team-leading eighth point.
Ryan Russell helped the Bulldogs tie the score at 8:44, with Brandon product Brock Trotter drawing an assist.
STILL DOWN: The Moose learned during the weekend that D Brian Salcido is still feeling the effects of post-concussion syndrome.
Salcido suffered the injury when he hit his head on the boards during the second period of a game against the Chicago Wolves on Oct. 10.
It was believed Salcido -- who remains in Winnipeg -- might be out seven days and that he could join the Moose for the series with the Bulldogs.
However, a recent setback means the earliest Salcido could return would be this Friday against the Wolves -- though it's a safer bet he'll be back in action next Thursday when the Moose host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at the MTS Centre.
Defenceman Neil Petruic made his Moose debut last night, replacing Geoff Waugh.
