CrashingTheGoalie

Two Manitoba Dmen are logging up the minutes. Nolan Baumgartner  played more than 32 minutes and Mike Funk more than 26 in Friday’s 2-1 shootout win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

With veteran Lawrence Nycholat injured, the Moose have relied plenty on the pair.

“How I look at it is that (Brian) Salcido has to be better, as does (Evan) Oberg and (Travis) Ramsey,” Arniel said. “We need other people to step up, eat up that icetime.”

With five games in six nights starting tonight at home versus Norfolk, it could be a big issue.

MIKE FUNK

“They’ll both be weighing 150 pounds by next Thursday if we keep going at this rate,” Arniel said of Funk and Baumgartner.

“This is a time for the other guys to sink or swim,” Arniel said.
Neither Baumgartner nor Funk were complaining.

“I’ll play 40, 45 if they want,” Baumgartner smiled. “That’s the fun part of the game. You get into a rhythm. I’ve been feeling really good lately. But off the ice, you have get something into you after the game, get your nutrition and your rest. Plenty of sleep.”

“I haven’t looked at the charts,” Funk said. “I had a feeling I’ve been playing quite a few minutes, but it’s what you want, to play as much as you can and when you’re given the extra ice time, you feel obligated to play better.”

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written by Tim Campbell of the Winnipeg Free Press