If familiarity breeds success, new Manitoba Moose coach Scott Arniel should have his team skating smoothly into the American Hockey League playoffs this season.

The former Buffalo Sabres assistant is Manitoba's fourth head coach in as many seasons, but it's a team he knows very well.

Arniel played for the Moose from 1996 to '99 and served as its assistant from 2000-02.

He takes over the head coaching job from Alain Vigneault, who returned to the NHL with Manitoba's parent club, the Vancouver Canucks.

Vigneault had taken over for Randy Carlyle when he went to Anaheim, and Carlyle had the Moose job after Stan Smyl.

After running his first training camp, the 44-year-old Arniel has high expectations.

``We're pretty deep for all four lines and I think we have a very mobile defence that will be a real part of the offence,'' said Arniel, who also played with the NHL's Winnipeg Jets from 1981-86. ``We've got good size, we've got some experience. I really like the look of our team right now.''

The Moose finished last season with a 44-4-7-5 record, the second time they've notched 100 points since the franchise arrived in Winnipeg 10 years ago.

The club made it to the North Division final, but lost 5-4 in Game 7 to Grand Rapids after veteran goalie Wade Flaherty sat out with a groin injury.

Flaherty was Manitoba's most valuable player last season but is still in Vancouver backing up Roberto Luongo so the biggest question mark for the Moose is in the crease.

Drew MacIntyre, a 23-year-old from Charlottetown, P.E.I., is pegged to be the starter.

MacIntyre has 83 pro games under his belt while the 38-year-old Flaherty has played more than 600 games during his 17 years in net.

``I can't really compare myself to Wade, it's totally different,'' said MacIntyre, who was acquired by the Canucks this summer in a trade with the Detroit Red Wings.

``But by my own right, I think I can do an all right job myself. I've been (in the AHL) a couple years and I've paid my dues. I think I'm ready to show what I can do as, hopefully, a No. 1.''

Even if Flaherty was with the team, Arniel said the plan was to have MacIntyre play 40 to 45 games.

``We feel that he has that maturity to play that many games,'' said Arniel, who also kept goalies Mike Ayers and rookie Julien Ellis. ``Now, obviously, he becomes the lead dog and I think he's so excited for that opportunity.''

MacIntyre played 33 games with the ECHL's Toledo Storm last season, compiling a 24-7-2 record with a league-best 2.06 goals-against average. He was named the team's MVP.

He also had an 8-4-0 regular-season record with Grand Rapids and 2.91 GAA. In the playoffs, he posted a 3-1 record and 1.62 GAA and was credited with the Game 7 win over Manitoba after stopping the only shot he faced in relief.

Arniel said he and assistant coach Brad Berry plan to give plenty of support to their goaltenders.

``The type of system we're going to play in front of them, it isn't all about giving up 50 shots a night and your goalie having to make all the saves,'' he said. ``It's more about a team defence and us playing a puck-possession game where we've got the puck all the time.''

The Moose start their season on a four-game road trip, beginning with Wednesday's season-opener against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

They also visit their Canadian rivals in Toronto and Hamilton during the trip.

Their roster currently has 13 players from last season, including defenceman Nathan McIver and forwards Mike Keane, Lee Goren and Jesse Schultz, who led the squad with 37 goals last season.

Centre Brandon Reid also returns after playing the last two seasons in the Swiss and German elite leagues.

The most notable absences are last year's top defenceman Sven Butenschon and forwards Jimmy Roy, Jason King and Jozef Balej. All have left to play in Europe.