Jan 8: Mooseheads vs. Oceanic preview

GAMEDAY
HALIFAX MOOSEHEADS VS RIMOUSKI OCEANIC
Puck drops at 7:00pm
TV: Eastlink | Radio: News 95.7 | Live: @MC_MooseCountry
Scotiabank Centre (10,595) ~ Halifax, NS

How will Halifax fare without their top guns? Well tonight Mooseheads fans get their first look at the new post-trade period team in Moose Country when they host the Rimouski Oceanic. Gone are captain Timo Meier, former leading scorer Danny Moynihan, defenseman Cavan Fitzgerald and Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Cody Donaghey. Newcomer Jocktan Chainey has played well since suiting up in his first game with the Herd after Christmas while this evening's annual teddy bear toss game should be Zack Taylor and Anthony Sorrentino's debut match in the red and green. That's right fans, it's the Halifax Mooseheads teddy bear toss game so be sure to bring a stuffed animal to the rink with you to throw on the ice after the Mooseheads' first goal. All stuffed animals will go to Ronald McDonald House. Halifax is coming into tonight's match up as a team that has gotten points in their last 3 games with all three going to overtime. In two of the games, the Herd gained a 2-0 lead only to give it up and than have to come back from two goal deficits to tie the game to get an extra point. Rookie Otto Somppi is becoming Mr. Clutch scoring either a tying goal and/or the game winning goal in the last few matches. Should be an interesting rest of season.

Overall Records
Mooseheads: 14-20-5-1 = 34 points (6th in Maritimes division, 17th overall)
Oceanic: 23-12-3-1 = 50 points (3rd in East division, 7th overall)

Leading Scorers
RIM: Dylan Montcalm 38pts (15G & 23A), Antoine Dufort-Plante 32pts (15G & 17A), Simon Bourque 28pts (6G & 22A)
HAL: Maxime Fortier 48pts (21G & 27A), Otto Somppi 30pts (9G & 21A), Andrew Shewfelt 19pts (8G & 11A)

Last Games
Halifax is coming off a 6-5 overtime victory over Charlottetown on Tuesday night. Andrew Shewfelt led the Mooseheads with a goal and 2 assists while Kevin Resop stopped 34 of the Islanders 39 shots for the home win.

Rimouski last played host to Acadie-Bathurst on Tuesday evening, losing 7-1 on home ice. Carson MacKinnon scored the lone goal while the Oceanic's goaltending duo of CA Poirier-Turcot and Louis-Philip Guindon made 32 saves against the Titan.

Season Series
Head-to-Head: 0-1-0-0 = 0 points
October 31  Halifax 2 at Rimouski 3
January 8  Rimouski at Halifax - 7pm

Out of Town
Titan vs Screaming Eagles 7:00pm
Islanders vs Olympiques 7:00pm
Remparts vs Tigres 8:00pm
Cataractes vs Voltigeurs 8:00pm
Drakkar vs Armada 8:30pm
Huskies vs Phoenix 8:30pm

After the Buzzer
The Mooseheads will continue their five game homestand tomorrow when the Gatineau Olympiques come to town. Puck drops at 7pm.