Preview: Mooseheads Return Home VS Moncton Sunday
Published on February 16, 2024 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Halifax Mooseheads News Release
Halifax, Nova Scotia - Jan 06: QMJHL game between the Halifax Mooseheads and Moncton Wildcats on January 6 2024 at the Scotiabank Center in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (Trevor MacMillan/Halifax Mooseheads)
PREVIEW: Mooseheads return home VS Moncton Sunday
Category: ArticleFebruary 16, 2024
Wildcats (29-17-3-3) AT Mooseheads-X (33-13-7-1) 3pm, Scotiabank Centre
Halifax, 2nd in Eastern Conference Moncton 3rd in Eastern Conference
Mooseheads Stats Wildcats Stats
Tickets: Ticketmaster.ca Webcast: Watch.CHL.ca Radio: CityNews 95.7
The Mooseheads return home for one game at Scotiabank Centre Sunday afternoon at 3pm before playing four straight on the road. Halifax and Moncton will square off in a Heritage Day long weekend home-and-home series that will wrap up tomorrow afternoon at the Avenir Centre.
Halifax is coming off a somewhat bizarre 5-3 loss on the road on Friday that saw them fall to the Cape Breton Eagles. There were a combined five goals scored in the opening 10:35 and the Herd held a 3-2 advantage but couldn't light the lamp again the rest of the night as they saw a modest two-game winning streak snapped at the hands of their provincial rivals.
Moose Injuries: Jordan Dumais (out indefinitely - lower body) timeline to return is approximately two weeks. Braden MacPhee (day-to-day - upper body) Questionable to return this weekend.
Meet the Opponent - Moncton Wildcats
Head Coach - Dan Lacroix (Fifth season)
Team Stats: Goals per Game - 4.17 (4th in QMJHL) | Goals Against per Game - 3.37 (10th in QMJHL) | PP - 30.4% (1st in QMJHL) | PK - 78.9% (9th in QMJHL)
Leaders: Goals - Yoan Loshing (35) | Assists - Preston Lounsbury/Caleb Desnoyers (29) | Points - Yoan Loshing (60)
This is a game between two teams heading in opposite directions. The Wildcats were once hot on the heels of Halifax for the lead in the division, but it's been an extremely rough go for the Cats in the new year. Moncton had lost four in a row before picking up a victory on Friday over Gatineau and has just three wins in their last 12 to fall drastically behind the Mooseheads in the standings and are in danger of dropping even further in the Eastern Conference with Rimouski and Cape Breton mere points behind them. Moncton has had no trouble scoring goals this season and features a lethal power play but have made a habit of playing poorly against contending teams and hold a 3-8-1-0 record against the four teams ahead of them in the standings. Those contenders (Baie-Comeau, Drummondville, Halifax and Victoriaville) have combined to outscore the Wildcats 61-35 in those key matchups.
If the Playoffs began today: Moncton would be the third seed in the Eastern Conference and would hold home ice advantage in a series versus the Chicoutimi Sagueneens.
Nova Scotians: The Wildcats have two players on the roster who hail from Nova Scotia - forward Connor Trenholm (Cole Harbour) and defenceman Oscar Plandowski (Halifax).
3 STATS TO KNOW
1 - Markus Vidicek scored his 36th goal of the season on Friday night and needs just four more to reach 100 career goals.
2 - Averaging just 6.94 penalty minutes per game, the Mooseheads are on pace to finish the season with 472 minutes served in the penalty box which would be an all-time franchise low.
3 - Mathis Rousseau is 3-and-0 versus Moncton this season with a goals against average of 1.30 and a .957 save percentage.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from February 16, 2024
- Preview: Mooseheads Return Home VS Moncton Sunday - Halifax Mooseheads
- Eagles Top Mooseheads in Front of Big Crowd in Sydney - Cape Breton Eagles
- Disjointed Effort in Road Loss to Eagles - Halifax Mooseheads
- Eagles Set to Host Mooseheads in Front of 3000+ - Cape Breton Eagles
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