Moose shock Rimouski in overtime
2025-01-15
Braeden MacPhee scored the kill shot in overtime on Wednesday night for the Mooseheads to stun the Memorial Cup hosting Rimouski Oceanic on their home ice as Halifax skated away with an exciting and unexpected 3-2 victory.
The game-winner was set up by a patient Liam Kilfoil who carried the puck over the blueline and drew a double team of Oceanic players to one side. The Herd’s leading scorer ripped a shot off the pads of goalie Mathis Langevin who kick out a big rebound right onto the stick of a wide open MacPhee and the game’s first star buried one into a gaping net for the win.
Jacob Steinman was outstanding yet again for Halifax with 39 saves to pick up the first win of his Mooseheads career. He was named the second star of the game.
It was another gritty effort by the youngest team in the QMJHL against a top opponent as the club has discovered a newfound energy post trade deadline. Halifax also played a tight game with Drummondville last Thursday at Scotiabank Centre before falling 4-3 to the Western Conference leaders. The next game on the docket is a rematch on the road with the Voltigeurs Friday night in Drummondville.
Rimouski opened the scoring in the game when sniper Jacob Mathieu tallied his 29th goal of the season just 3:54 into the contest at the Sun Life Financial Colisee. The Herd evened the score 1-1 early in the second period on a wrap-around goal by rookie Caylen Blake. Halifax then took their first lead of the night on the power play as Brady Schultz reached up with his glove to keep the puck onside before firing a shot on net that was deflected in front by Antoine Fontaine. The Oceanic tied it up again 2-2 late in the second period on a Maxime Coursol goal. Steinman shutdown the hard-pressing home squad in the third by stopping all 10 shots he faced and added another three saves in overtime before MacPhee sent a sea of green jerseys flooding onto the ice in celebration.
Let's Go! Mooseheads win it in overtime!
🚨 Braeden MacPhee from Liam Kilfoil 🚨
3-2 final in Rimouski | #GoMooseGo pic.twitter.com/zKOH6f8tiB
— Halifax Mooseheads (@HFXMooseheads) January 16, 2025
Liam Kilfoil had a pair of assists in the win and has scored six points in his last two games, both wins for the Mooseheads. Carlos Handel, Owen Phillips and Schultz accounted for the other assists.
Rimouski paid tribute to Quinn Kennedy during a tv timeout to recognize him for the two-and-a-half seasons he spent with the Oceanic before he was dealt to Halifax in December for Jack Martin and Lou Levesque.
Cade Moser remained out of the lineup with an upper body injury that has kept him sidelined since November 21st. He is week-to-week. Lincoln Waugh was a healthy scratch while affiliate forward Jordan Shaw has joined the team on the road trip as an emergency backup incase of an injury amongst the forwards. Shaw has scored 26 points in 24 games with the Kensington Wild U18 this season as a 17-year-old. He was a free agent invite to Mooseheads training camp and later signed as an affiliate.
The road trip continues in Drummondville on Friday at 8pm AST and wraps up in Blainville-Boisbriand on Saturday at 5pm AST. Catch both games on 95.7 NewsRadio and CHL TV. The next home game for the Herd is Thursday, January 23rd at Scotiabank Centre versus Acadie-Bathurst at 7pm. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster.ca