ROCKFORD (Interstat) — The Manitoba Moose will visit the Rockford IceHogs in a minor league hockey game on Friday, with both teams looking to build momentum in a crowded early-season schedule.

Manitoba enters with a 7-4 record and has been one of the busier teams in the early going. The Moose are coming off a 3-0 loss at Milwaukee in their most recent outing, a game in which Henry Thrun recorded five shots on goal. Thrun has been a consistent offensive presence from the blue line and is the player to watch for Manitoba. He has six assists over his past nine games and has registered at least one shot on goal in every recent appearance. His ability to create chances from the back end will be important against a Rockford team that has had uneven results defensively.

Rockford is 3-5 and is coming off a 3-0 win at Toronto. Goaltender Drew Commesso is the player to watch for the IceHogs. Commesso made 16 saves in that shutout and has been a central figure for Rockford despite the team’s early inconsistency. He has faced a varied workload and will need to be sharp against a Manitoba attack that has shown the ability to score in bunches. The IceHogs also received contributions from Gavin Hayes and Jiří Felcman in their most recent victory, with each recording a goal and an assist.

Manitoba has had several productive stretches this season, including a 7-4 home win over Texas and an 8-3 home win over Chicago. The Moose have also been competitive on the road, though their most recent trip ended with a shutout loss. Manitoba’s depth has been a factor, with multiple forwards generating shots and scoring chances. The Moose will look to return to the win column and improve their standing in the early portion of the schedule.

Rockford has alternated between encouraging performances and difficult losses. The IceHogs opened the season with a 3-1 home loss to Milwaukee before splitting a pair of road games at Iowa. Rockford later dropped a home game to Iowa and a road contest at Grand Rapids before rebounding with an overtime win at Toronto and the shutout victory in the rematch. The IceHogs will need another strong goaltending performance from Commesso to slow Manitoba.

Both teams have busy schedules ahead. Manitoba is set to return home for games against Toronto before heading back on the road, while Rockford has a home matchup with Texas on the horizon. The Friday game offers Rockford a chance to build on its most recent win and Manitoba an opportunity to bounce back from its latest defeat.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 3-2 Manitoba win. Interstat’s ELO system gives Manitoba a 52.9 percent probability of winning. Rockford has been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5, and the over/under for the game is 5.5.