Mooseheads Pushed to the Brink After Game 3 Loss
April 15, 2025 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Halifax Mooseheads News Release
The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies are one win away from heading to the QMJHL semi-finals and eliminating the Halifax Mooseheads after a 4-1 victory at Scotiabank Centre on Tuesday Night. The Huskies took a three-games-to-none lead in the series and will have a chance to finish the sweep on Wednesday against the Cinderella Mooseheads.
Bill Zonnon continued his excellent playoff run with a goal and an assist on the day that he was named the 31st ranked North American skater for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft in the final NHL Central Scouting report. The big forward scored once and added an assist with his family in the stands to watch and he now has 12 points in eight playoff games. Remi Gelinas, Lars Steiner and Alex Carr also scored for the visitors while Callum Aucoin replied for the Mooseheads.
Box Score
Halifax lost defenceman Carlos Handel to an upper body injury late in the second period and he was hit hard into the end boards. He did not return and is listed as day-to-day.
Jacob Steinman battled to make 30 saves on 34 shots while taking the loss while the win went to Samuel Meloche who stopped 19 shots for the Huskies.
A strong crowd of 7,201 were on hand with hopes of watching the Herd find a way to get their first win of the series but the overwhelming speed and relentless forechecking pressure from Rouyn-Noranda once again proved to be too much to handle. Halifax kept the game scoreless for much of the opening period and appeared to get an opportunity to strike first with Steiner heading to the box for high sticking at 14:15. However a costly error at the Huskies blueline by Brady Schultz resulted in a turnover and a breakaway for Gelinas who buried his shot for a shorthanded tally.
Rouyn-Noranda quickly added to their lead early in the second period when Zonnon knocked one in at the side of the net on the third opportunity for the Huskies and it was 2-0 just 72 seconds into the stanza with Liam Kilfoil watching from the penalty box following a holding call.
Lars Steiner made it a 3-0 game later in the period when Steinman played the puck behind the net and coughed it up with a pass attempt up the middle that was knocked down and wound up in the back of the net in short order.
The Mooseheads put a little charge into the building by giving the fans something to cheer about midway through the second when Brady Schultz sprung Callum Aucoin on a breakaway and the Hammonds Plains, NS native scored his first career playoff goal. 3-1 was as close as the Moose would make it though as Upper Sackville's Alex Carr slid one along the ice in the third period to make the final 4-1 in favour of Rouyn-Noranda.
Halifax will need to win to stay alive on Wednesday night in Game 4 at Scotiabank Centre. Puck drop is set for 7pm. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster.ca
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Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from April 15, 2025
- Drakkar Hand Wildcats First Playoff Loss - Moncton Wildcats
- Mooseheads Pushed to the Brink After Game 3 Loss - Halifax Mooseheads
- Desnoyers, Sumpf in NHL Central Scouting's Final Rankings - Moncton Wildcats
- NHL Central Scouting's Final List: 39 QMJHL Players Listed - QMJHL
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