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This article was published 3/11/2016 (1419 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In a perfect world, Nic Petan would be spending his sophomore pro season in the NHL.

Well, you know what they say about the best-laid plans. Petan, a 21-year-old forward, is in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose again after a 26-game stint with the Winnipeg Jets in 2015-16.

"It’s been a slow start for me," Petan said prior to Manitoba’s game Thursday night against the defending Calder Cup champion Cleveland Monsters. "Some goals are there but for me, definitely not enough. I’m looking to make a push the next few weeks. Patience is a big thing but for these first eight games I don’t think it’s been good enough for me...

'The play is right, the mindset is right ‐ the execution's not really there. But it's getting used to playing with new guys' ‐ Nic Petan

"The play is right, the mindset is right — the execution’s not really there. But it’s getting used to playing with new guys."

Petan, a prolific scorer during his major junior career, scored a nifty power-play marker Thursday and now has four goals and five points in nine games with the Moose. The four goals — two of them game-winners — were scored in his last six contests.

Meanwhile, Moose forwards Marko Dano and Andrew Copp have been recalled to the NHL as injury replacements. Petan is focusing on what he can control.

"You’ve gotta stay positive," he said. "Whatever you think in your head, it’s usually not what any other people are thinking. Things happen for a reason... Help the Moose out as much as I can and go from there."

Sixth-year pro Quinton Howden, who has a team-leading six goals after two more Thursday, has a similar approach. He’s 24 and has 92 games of NHL experience.

"If you sit around hoping for it, waiting for it, it’s not gonna happen," Howden said. "It’s something that’ll happen if you’re going good. As of right now, this is where we are. This is our team and we’re trying to do the best we can as a group."

Manitoba is 5-3-0-1 after Thursday’s action, which projects as a huge improvement over last season’s dismal 26-41-4-5 campaign.

"As long as our team is winning, we’re kinda climbing and building as a team every day and it’s a lot of fun to play with these guys," Howden said.

The minor-league experience wouldn’t be complete without massive roster turnover.

The Moose, for instance, have Dano, Copp and blue-liner Julian Melchiori on loan to the Jets and five other regulars — including right-winger Brandon Denham (shoulder), Brenden Kichton (finger), Brian Strait (upper body), Patrice Cormier (upper body) and Scott Kosmachuk (undisclosed) — are out with injuries.

"When I got interviewed for the job that was part of the meeting — how are you gonna deal with this?" said first-year Moose head coach Pascal Vincent. "Because the turnover of players is... one week you have one team and the next week you have a totally different team.

"It’s a challenge, for sure it is, but we’re trying to build a team identity where whoever’s in, they play our way. And those days, like (Thursday) and Saturday, will be a good test to where we are in the process."

Vincent wants a competitive atmosphere but he also wants players to respect each other.

"If a player has been called up, you should be happy for him," he said. "Obviously, you wanna be the guy that’s received the phone call, but if it’s not, what you can control is how you react to that... being called up is one thing but you wanna stay there."

NOTEWORTHY: Gilbert Plains product Colby Robak, a 26-year-old defenceman, has been signed by the AHL’s Utica Comets after starting the season with the Stockton Heat. He had five assists and was a plus-eight in six games with the Heat.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @sawa14