PREVIEW: Mooseheads VS Acadie-Bathurst Thursday
2024-02-29
Mooseheads-X (38-14-7-1) VS Titan (25-27-3-3), 7pm AST, Scotiabank Centre
Halifax, 2nd in Eastern Conference | Acadie-Bathurst 7th in Eastern Conference |
Mooseheads Stats | Titan Stats |
TV: Eastlink Webcast: CHL TV | Radio: CityNews 95.7 |
The Mooseheads are back at it on home ice tonight at Scotiabank Centre just 24 hours after facing Cape Breton and defeating the Eagles 2-1 for a fifth straight victory. Jake Todd and Logan Crosby provided the offence while Mathis Rousseau stopped 29 shots to earn the first star. Tonight’s game is a potential first round playoff matchup which would begin on Friday, March 29th in Halifax. This is game 61-of-68 on the season schedule for the Herd. Halifax holds a 5-1-1 lead in the season series and will host the Titan one more time before the end of the regular season.
If the Playoffs began today: The Mooseheads and Titan would battle it out in the opening round, although Charlottetown is a threat to catch Acadie-Bathurst in the standings and are just two points behind the Titan for seventh place in the Eastern Conference.
Moose Injuries: Jordan Dumais (out indefinitely – lower body) He has returned to Halifax to continue rehab with no set date to rejoin the lineup. Braeden MacPhee (day-to-day – upper body) – MacPhee returned for one game but re-aggravated his injury and remains questionable vs the Titan.
Meet the Opponent – Acadie-Bathurst Titan
Head Coach – Gordie Dwyer (Second season with Acadie-Bathurst)
Team Stats: Goals per Game – 3.28 (9th in QMJHL) | Goals Against per Game – 3.62 (13th in QMJHL) | PP – 17.2% (16th in QMJHL) | PK – 75.8% (13th in QMJHL)
Leaders: Goals – Milo Roelens (25) | Assists – Bobby Orr (51) | Points – Bobby Orr (72)
The Titan were sellers at the deadline this season and have taken a tumble down the standings since trading away key veterans such as Joey Henneberry, Ty Higgins and Donovan Arsenault. They still have enough fire power to be a threat with former Mooseheads forward Bobby Orr leading the way along with fellow overager Milo Roelens. The Titan have lost seven of their last 10 games and have the tough task of facing the Moose tonight before going back home to host the top ranked Baie-Comeau Drakkar on the weekend.
If the Playoffs began today: As previously mentioned, it would be a Titan/Mooseheads first round battle although the Islanders are challenging Acadie-Bathurst for the seventh position. Charlottetown and Bathurst will play twice more in the regular season.
Nova Scotians: The Titan have three Nova Scotians on the roster: Defenceman Cory MacGillivray (New Glasgow) along with forwards Dylan Andrews (Dartmouth) and Blake Pilgrim-Edwards (Elmsdale)
3 STATS TO KNOW
1 – Forward Bobby Orr has torched his former team for eight points in three games at Scotiabank Centre this season with three goals and five assists.
2 – The Mooseheads have played 18 overtime games this season, which is five more than the second-most (Rimouski).
3 – Lou-Felix Denis continues to lead the QMJHL with eight shorthanded goals, although he has yet to record one as a member of the Mooseheads.