PLAYOFF GAME #18: at Rouyn-Noranda

PREVIEW

ROUYN-NORANDA HUSKIES VS HALIFAX MOOSEHEADS

Game One of Round Four

Arena Iamgold (3,500) ~ Rouyn-Noranda, QC

Series tied 0-0

ROUYN-NORANDA - Buckle up Moose Country. For the fourth time in franchise history, our Halifax Mooseheads are playing the President Cup finals. This year, they'll take on the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and will begin the series as the road team. Both clubs already know they will be participating in the 2019 Memorial Cup but both want to go into the tournament on a winning note. There was a lot of talk all playoffs if the Mooseheads were going to do anything in the Memorial Cup and deserved to be there especially after finding themselves down 2-0 in the first round. However, they got their stuff together, came back to win Round 1 in 7 games and have won two more series to show they deserve to be playing in May. They'll have a tough competitor in the finals though as Rouyn-Noranda was the top team in the Canadian Hockey League during the regular season but despite picking up a QMJHL record 59 wins, the Huskies showed they have some cracks. Rouyn-Noranda had to win their opening series in 6 games to the last place Shawinigan Cataractes.

TALE OF THE TAPE
                         Rouyn-Noranda                 Halifax
Record:              59-8-0-1=119            49-15-2-2=102
Standing:            1st West, 1st                1st East, 3rd
Powerplay:           26.5% 4th                   28.1% 2nd
Penalty kill:          83.3% 2nd                  85.6% 1st
PIM:                          660                               819
Leading scorer: Abbandanoto (111pts)  Asselin (86pts)

NOTES

• The Halifax Star has their preview of the series 
• Rouyn-Noranda and Halifax have met three times previously in the playoffs, two times in the semis with the Herd winning both those in sweeps plus a first round match up in 2017 where the Huskies took it in 6 
• Tickets for the two home games next week, go on sale today at 11am at the normal spots. Click here for online tickets 
• Alex Gravel was also named the CHL goaltender of the week on Tuesday

OUT OF TOWN

Guelph at Ottawa - 8:00pm (OHL championship)

NEXT GAME - The two teams will meet for Game 2 on Friday night in Rouyn-Noranda. Puck drops at 8pm.