SAINT JOHN TAKES DOWN HALIFAX 3-1
The Mooseheads found themselves on the wrong end of a 3-1 game on Saturday night in a loss to the Maritimes Division leading Saint John Sea Dogs.
“It was physical and on high level and in those games the difference is the little details and who does them better and I think tonight it was their side,” Halifax forward Timo Meier said after the game.
Meier was the lone goal scorer for the Herd as he deposited a wicked cross-crease pass from Nikolaj Ehlers into the back of the net at 17:12 of the second period. The goal was Meier’s 19th of the season and with the assist, Ehlers extended his point scoring streak to 15 straight games.
Sea Dogs top rookie Luke Green opened the scoring when he sped in from the right point nearing the midway point of the first period and snapped one short side high over the glove of Zach Fucale.
The Bedford native was selected first overall by the Dogs in the 2014 QMJHL Entry Draft.
Matthew Highmore put Saint John ahead 2-0 when he redirected a perfect pass from Adam Marsh, one that Fucale didn’t have a chance to stop.
Mitchell Dempsey increased the lead to 3-0 at 10:02 of the middle period when he poked a loose puck past the goal line during a scramble in front of the Mooseheads net.
Halifax outshot their opponents 38-23 and were able to fire 19 at Saint John goaltender in the third period, but defenseman Jesse Lussier thinks his club waited too long to increase their intensity.
“With a team like that you can’t wait to get going. I thought in the first period we started out playing well but kind of got away from it but give them credit they’re a good team and a fast team,” he said.
The game featured plenty of physicality as has been the norm between these two clubs in their four matchups – all wins by the surprising Sea Dogs – who lead the Division with an 18-6-1-4 record.
Nikolaj Ehlers was called for roughing during a particularly frustrating portion of the third period and emotions got the better of the Jets prospect as he was handed a 10-minute misconduct for abuse of the officials, ending his night much to the displeasure of the 7,418 in attendance.
Halifax pulled Fucale with about two and a half minutes remaining in the game and enjoyed a 6-on-4 advantage for the final 90 seconds when Jakub Zboril took a penalty, but the Herd could not get anything past Auger who was named the First Star for his outstanding play.
Meier was awarded the Second Star of the game and Green got the nod for Third Star.
The Mooseheads record falls to 14-14-2-1 but the team will have a chance to improve once again when they play back-to-back home games on Wednesday and Thursday against the Titan and Remparts at Scotiabank Centre.
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