Currie Leads Rocket Past Moncton
Currie leads PEI past Moncton
Josh Currie’s shorthanded penalty shot goal stood up to be the winner, as the PEI Rocket defeated the Moncton Wildcats 5-3 in Charlottetown Sunday afternoon.
The goal was the Charlottetown native’s second tally of the game and was key in scoring his club an important two points as they look to climb the standings late in the season.
The Rocket are now three points back of the Wildcats with three games remaining, including one more duel with Moncton on Friday.
PEI will square off with the Saint John Sea Dogs in their final home game of the season on Wednesday, March 16.
Sunday’s win took a group effort, led by Currie’s pair and three points a piece for Andrej Nestrasil and Ben Duffy. The Rocket trio swept the three stars in front of a large crowd of 3,091.
PEI clawed their way back from an early two-goal deficit, after Moncton’s Island connection of Cole MacMillan and Brandon Gormley hooked up to beat goalie Evan Mosher just 1:20 into the game.
The Saulnier twins made it 2-0 when Allain set up Alex at 8:16.
But Nestrasil’s 19th of the year just 23 seconds later cut the lead in half before the end of the first period.
Duffy’s 35th of the year came just 27 seconds into the second period, paving the way for Josh Currie’s heroics. He beat Brandon Thibeau less than a minute after Duffy, before getting hauled down on a shorthanded breakaway late in the period and being rewarded his penalty shot.
Samuel Morneau padded the Rocket lead at 7:07 of the third period, while Simon Jodoin scored for Moncton to pull them within two. But it wasn’t enough.
The game contained its share of fisticuffs, and also saw Philippe Paradis get tossed from the game for a hit to the head in the second period. Paradis fought Patrick Downe following the hit.
Dylan Capstick and Cedric LeBlanc also dropped the gloves in the third period, after both were called for unsportsmanlike conducts two minutes prior.
Marcel Vander Wier
