After scoring goals 17 seconds apart the previous night, Jansen Harkins didn't get to celebrate after the game because his Manitoba Moose lost 5-4 to the Cleveland Monsters.
Friday night in the rematch against the defending American Hockey League champions in Cleveland, Ohio, Harkins and the Moose ended the season in style. Harkins made sure of that when he assisted on the only goal in 1-0 win over the Monsters.
Eric Comrie made 30 saves in net for the Moose for his third shutout of the season, in front of a crowd of 13,221 at Quicken Loans Arena. The Moose (29-37-5-5) missed the AHL playoffs, finishing seventh in the Central Division.
Harkins joined the Moose last week from the Prince George Cougars after signing a three-year entry-level contract with the Winnipeg Jets and on Friday he set up Kyle Connor's power-play goal, 14 seconds into the third period.
In his four games with Manitoba, Harkins finished with two goals and two assists.
Six other Cougars are now with AHL teams. Defenceman Sam Ruopp did not play in either game for Cleveland, the Columbus Blue Jackets' farm team. The Monsters (39-29-4-4) will have to wait until the season ends today to know if they will make the playoffs. They're now just one point ahead of the Charlotte Checkers 40-29-5-1) who can bump Cleveland out of the postseason if they gain a point tonight in their game against Grande Rapids.
Cougars defenceman Brendan Guhle had one assist Friday to help the Rochester Americans to a 5-4 win over the Albany Devils. Guhle, who scored in his first game with the Americans last week, had a goal and an assist in five games for the Buffalo Sabres' affiliate.
Also Thursday, Radovan Bondra was held off the scoreboard playing for the Rockford IceHogs in a 6-2 loss to the Milwaukee Admirals. Bondra played four games for the IceHogs, who also missed the playoffs.
Thursday in San Jose, Colby McAuley picked up his second assist in four games in a losing cause as the Barracuda fell 4-3 to the Tucson Roadrunners.
