GAMEDAY #66: vs. Charlottetown

GAME PREVIEW
HALIFAX MOOSEHEADS VS. CHARLOTTETOWN ISLANDERS
Puck drops at 7:00pm
Radio: News 95.7 | TV: Webcast | Live: @MC_MooseCountry
Scotiabank Centre (10,595) ~ Halifax, NS

Your Halifax Mooseheads look to finish off the season strong as they come back to Moose Country to end the year on a 3 game homestand. Halifax has had a tough schedule of late playing their divisional rivals for the last month and a half, picking up wins against the last place Moncton Wildcats. It's not going to get any easier with the Herd facing the top 2 teams this week plus a St Patrick's Day matchup against Cape Breton. The Mooseheads will need some luck on their side and big performances from the top guns; Max Fortier and Nico Hischier to make sure they get into the playoffs. Charlottetown meanwhile have won 9 of their last 10 games and has the CHL player of the week on their team in Daniel Sprong. The Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick has been racking up points and has been a thorn in the Mooseheads' back since he started in the QMJHL. With their strong play in the second half, the Islanders have shot up the standings and are only 5 points back of first place Saint John for the division crown. Halifax will try to put an end to Charlottetown's bid to win the division by picking up the two points in front of the home crowd at Scotiabank Centre.

This is the ninth and final game between these two teams this season. Charlottetown is 5-3-0-0 against the Mooseheads so far while Halifax has a 3-5-0-0 record versus the Islanders. The two teams last met on March 5 in Charlottetown where the Herd lost 3-1 with Arnaud Durandeau scoring the lone goal. Alex Gravel made 29 saves to take the defeat.

OVERALL RECORDS
Islanders: 43-17-3-0 = 93 points (2nd in Maritimes division, 4th overall)
Mooseheads: 26-34-2-3 = 57 points (5th in Maritimes division, 15th overall)

LEADING SCORERS
HAL: Maxime Fortier 83pts (30G & 53A), Nico Hischier 82pts (38G & 44A), Jake Coughler 50pts (28G & 22A)
CHA: Francois Beauchemin 94pts (43G & 51A), Filip Chlapik 87G (32G & 55A), Kameron Kielly 69pts (32G & 37A)

PREVIOUS GAMES
Charlottetown is coming off a 6-3 victory over the Titan on Saturday evening. Guillaume Brisbois led the Islanders with 2 goals and an assist on the road while Mark Grametbauer stopped 26 of Acadie-Bathurst's 29 shots to take the win.

Halifax is coming off a 5-3 loss to the Sea Dogs on Saturday. Otto Somppi scored two goals for the Mooseheads while Alex Gravel made 21 saves in what was Saint John's last home game of the season.

ALUM ON ISLANDERS - Jean-Sebastien Taillefer

HEAD-TO-HEAD
October 2  Halifax 2 at Charlottetown 9
October 8  Charlottetown 2 at Halifax 5
November 12  Charlottetown 4 at Halifax 7
December 28  Halifax 1 at Charlottetown 2
January 11  Charlottetown 1 at Halifax 2 
February 10  Halifax 3 at Charlottetown 4 
February 18  Charlottetown 5 at Halifax 1
March 5  Halifax 1 at Charlottetown 3
March 15  Charlottetown at Halifax – 7pm

OUT OF TOWN
Screaming Eagles vs. Titan - 7:00pm
Wildcats vs. Sea Dogs - 7:00pm
Voltigeurs vs. Armada - 8:00pm
Remparts vs. Sagueneens - 8:00pm
Cataractes vs. Huskies - 8:00pm
Phoenix vs. Foreurs - 8:00pm

AFTER THE BUZZER
Halifax will stay at home and welcome their provincial rivals; Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Friday evening for St. Patrick's Day. Puck drops at 7pm.