The Manitoba Moose earned a 2-1 shootout victory against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday night at MTS Centre to split their first series with the club this season. Sergei Shirokov scored Manitoba’s lone goal in regulation time and notched the game-winner in the shootout. Goaltender Daren Machesney stopped 26 shots and all shooters in the shootout for his second victory this season and first star honors.

A delay of game penalty handed to Nate Guenin put the Moose on the powerplay at 5:05. In his first game back after being re-assigned by the Vancouver Canucks, Sergei Shirokov capitalized on the man-advantage to put his club on top. With an initial shot by Matt Pettinger, the Russian right-winger slapped the rebound into the back door to open the scoring, 1-0.

The powerplay tables turned in favor of the Penguins at 10:29 when Tommy Maxwell was sent to the sin bin for holding. Despite bringing their shot count to six on the PP, the visitors could not solve Manitoba’s penalty kill or goaltender Daren Machesney.

The Moose and Baby Pens exchanged penalties in the early half of the middle stanza, but neither team capitalized on their respective man-advantages.

6:30 into the second, Dustin Jeffrey was awarded a penalty shot when a Moose defender hooked him on a breakaway. With the penalty shot, Jeffrey netted the equalizer when he slipped the puck through Machesney’s five-hole to knot the game at one.

With 12 seconds left in the second period, Pierre-Cedric Labrie and Deryk Engelland exchanged pleasantries and then punches in front of Curry’s crease. When both players fell to the ice, they were each escorted off of it after being handed five-minute fighting majors. 

The third period saw back-and-forth play and a penalty for each side. For the second night in a row, the two teams were forced into overtime to decide the winner.