Herd Get 1st Shootout Win

Photo - Christian Laforce (Local Xpress)

Five out of six. That is an excellent way to start the new year! In a game that saw a couple of players going against their old team and the return of former coaches, the Halifax Mooseheads defeated the Drummondville Voltigeurs in a shootout. Dominique Ducharme, who coached the Moose for the last 5 seasons and won a Memorial Cup with the team, was back in Moose Country on Friday night but he couldn't coach his new team to a victory. On the bench was his assistant coach in Halifax for a few of those seasons; Steve Hartley. For the Herd it was their first shootout victory of the season and it has given the team 5 wins in their last six games to begin 2017. The new recruits have been very good so far but tonight it was a couple of rookies who helped get the win. After a uneventful first period, Drummondville got out to a 1-0 lead over 7 minutes into the middle frame. Halifax had a few powerplays in the second half of the period but despite some pressure could not get a puck past Olivier Rodrigue. Not until that is the 3:27 minute mark of the third period where Max Fotier scored in tight to tie the game. Rodrique and Alexis Gravel kept it a tight game especially in the final minutes. In overtime, the home team took a penalty but Gravel was their to stop all 10 shots he faced in the extra 5 minutes as Drummondville outshot Halifax 10-2. Rookie defenseman Jared McIsaac scored the lone goal in the shootout to propel the Mooseheads.

FINAL: Voltigeurs 1 at Mooseheads 2 SO
Stars: 3. Jared McIsaac HAL | 2. Olivier Rodrigue DRU | 1. Alexis Gravel HAL
Attendance: 6,777
MC's Top Herd: Alexis Gravel

GAME LOG
First period
None

Second period
7:33 DRU Nicolas Beaudin (2) | A: none

Third period
3:27 HAL Maxime Fortier (24) | A: Lepage & Somppi

Overtime
None

Shootout
Round 1 – HAL Maxime Fortier (Save)     DRU Pavel Koltygin (Save)
Round 2 – HAL Jared McIsaac (Save)     DRU Nicolas Guay (Save)
Round 3 – HAL Nico Hischier (Save)     DRU Nicolas Beaudin (Save)

Powerplay: DRU - 0-for-5, HAL - 0-for-4
Shots: 38-32 in favour of Drummondville

MISSING IN ACTION: Mathieu Charlebois, Caleb Rich, Barrett Dachyshyn

SCORES
Victoriaville 1 at Acadie-Bathurst 5
Saint John 4 at Cape Breton 1
Moncton 3 at Charlottetown 8
Blainville-Boisbriand 3 at Chicoutimi 1
Rimouski 3 at Gatineau 6
Sherbrooke 3 at Rouyn-Noranda 6

UP NEXT: Halifax will welcome the Victoriaville Tigres for some Sunday afternoon hockey. Puck drops at 3pm.