Vidicek Comes Up Clutch In Charlottetown
Published on February 3, 2023 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Halifax Mooseheads News Release
Markus Vidicek helped the Mooseheads breathe a sigh of relief with 63 seconds remaining in regulation on Friday night when he broke a 2-2 deadlock with the eventual game-winning goal in Charlottetown. Alexandre Doucet completed a hat trick moments later when he slid the puck into an empty net for a 4-2 Halifax victory over the Islanders.
The hometown Isles gave the Herd all they could handle for a second straight night, just 24 hours after Charlottetown pulled out a 5-4 upset win in a shootout. The Islanders held leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the rematch but Halifax kept fighting back and extended their unbeaten in regulation streak to 23 games.
Brady James wasn't as busy as Dixon Grimes was at the other end of the ice but was instrumental in the Halifax victory with several show-stopping saves as he finished with 20 stops. Grimes faced plenty of rubber and wound up stopping 36 of the 39 shots fired in his direction.
It was another big night on the scoresheet for Zach L'Heureux who followed up his two-goal performance from Thursday with a trio of assists and he now has 10 points during a personal five-game point scoring streak.
Charlottetown opened the scoring late in the first period on a hard drive to the net by Peter Repcik not long after James had denied the Islanders of what appeared to be a sure goal by diving back across the crease to stun the 2,846 at the Eastlink Centre. It took until the 14:52 mark of the middle stanza for the Mooseheads to tie it on Doucet's first goal of the evening with Jake Furlong and Zach L'Heureux picking up the assists. The Isles regained the lead a few minutes later with Alex Michaud sending his team to the dressing room with a 2-1 advantage after 40 minutes. Halifax came out flying and determined in the third period but were frustrated by Grimes and the Isles defense time and time again. Doucet notched his second goal about five minutes into the period to even the scoreboard 2-2 and the teams would trade chances for the next 13-14 minutes until Vidicek broke the stalemate with a great shot off a set up by Mathieu Cataford to lift the weight off the shoulders of the Maritimes Division leaders. Doucet's empty net goal in the dying seconds not only completed a hat trick but gave him an even 40 goals on the season, a total that leads the QMJHL in the goal scoring department.
The 23-game unbeaten in regulation streak will be put to the test on home ice this Sunday afternoon when the Mooseheads return to an expected sold-out Scotiabank Centre to take on the visiting Rimouski Oceanic at 2pm. Very few tickets remain for the contest and are on sale now at TicketAtlantic.com.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from February 3, 2023
- Vidicek Comes Up Clutch In Charlottetown - Halifax Mooseheads
- Eagles Fall to Océanic on CBU Night at the Nest - Cape Breton Eagles
- Standish Scholastic Players of the Math Named for January 2023 - QMJHL
- The One for All Festival Presented by TD Is ONLY 14 Days Away - Saint John Sea Dogs
- Preview: January 3 vs. Halifax Mooseheads - Charlottetown Islanders
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