The manitoba moose begin their first-round playoff series Wednesday night at home against the Milwaukee Admirals at Canada Life Centre. The best-of-three matchup opens at 7 p. m. ET on April 22, with the Moose carrying late-season momentum into a series that starts in Winnipeg.
Moose bring momentum into Round 1
The manitoba moose closed the regular season with a 6-1 win over the Iowa Wild on Saturday, then turned the page to the postseason with a reinforced group. Winnipeg loaned defenseman Elias Salomonsson to Manitoba for the playoff push, while Brayden Yager and Brad Lambert have also rejoined the lineup.
The Moose finished 35-29-5-3, good for 10th in the Western Conference and fourth in the Central Division. Milwaukee ended the regular season at 32-32-4-3, placing fifth in the Central Division and setting up a tight opening-round series between two clubs that finished close together in the standings.
Series schedule, matchup history, and what is at stake
Game 2 is set for Friday, April 24 at 7 p. m. ET, and if needed, Game 3 will be played Sunday, April 26 at 2 p. m. ET. The series will be played entirely at Canada Life Centre, with live coverage on 680 CJOB.
The winner moves on to face the Grand Rapids Griffins in the next round. Grand Rapids enters that matchup with a 51-16-4-1 record and a postseason profile that makes the path ahead even steeper for whichever team survives Round 1.
Manitoba and Milwaukee split a hard-fought regular-season rivalry across eight games, with Manitoba going 3-4-1 against the Admirals and 2-2 in the four games played in Winnipeg. The manitoba moose will also be trying to end a longer playoff drought, with the club seeking its first series victory since 2018.
Players to watch on both sides
Manitoba forward Colby Barlow has found his timing at the right moment, scoring four goals in his last four games and posting six points over his final nine outings. Brayden Yager finished the regular season with 30 points in 68 games, while Brad Lambert added 13 points in 34 appearances, giving the manitoba moose more offensive options as the series begins.
On the other side, Milwaukee brings its own scoring depth. Jake Lucchini led the Admirals with 49 points, Cole O’Hara topped the team with 19 goals, and defensemen Jordan Oesterle and Ryan Lufko each reached the 40-point mark. Matthew Murray handled the crease for Milwaukee with a 2. 83 goals-against average, a. 904 save percentage, and four shutouts.
For the manitoba moose, the immediate task is simple: protect home ice, push the series to its limits, and try to keep their season moving past Wednesday night.
