Cataford Helps Halifax to Victory over Baie-Comeau
November 4, 2022 – Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) – Halifax Mooseheads News Release
Make it 9 wins in 13 games to open the season for your Halifax Mooseheads after a 4-2 victory over Baie-Comeau at Scotiabank Centre on Thursday.
1st star Mathieu Cataford was a major catalyst in the victory with three points as part of the newly formed second line featuring the NHL Draft eligible prospect at center and Stephane Huard Jr and James Swan on the wings. Halifax did its scoring in bunches late in the second period with goals 19 seconds apart and then two more 35 seconds apart to build up a nice lead heading into the final period of regulation.
Catford helped to break a scoreless deadlock at 14:13 of the second period when he drove to the net before dishing off to the trailing Brody Fournier who beat goalie Olivier Ciarlo with a low shot for his second tally of the season. The Herd struck again on the ensuing rush when Cataford buried a shot after a behind the net feed from Huard Jr. The flurry of goals had the crowd of 6,284 buzzing and they got even louder just minutes later as import defenceman David Moravec fired one in from the slot at the 18:55 mark for a 3-0 advantage followed by a James Swan strike 35 seconds later to bring the crowd noise to its peak.
Goalie Mathis Rousseau was outstanding yet again between the pipes for Halifax and made 30 saves for his seventh win in 10 starts. He took a shutout bid 8:29 into the third period before Mael Lavigne finally beat the Moose netminder. The Drakkar added a second goal on a deflection by Nathan Baril in front of Rousseau and Halifax shut things down defensively the rest of the way.
Other players to earn assists for the Mooseheads were Liam Welsh, James Swan, Attilio Biasca and Jordan Dumais and the record for the Herd improved to 9-1-2-1 which has the team in first place in the Maritimes Division and third in the overall standings.
3 point performance by #NHLDraft prospect Mathieu Cataford in our 4-2 win. #GoMooseGopic.twitter.com/f14s9zuSip
– Halifax Mooseheads (@HFXMooseheads) November 4, 2022
Halifax had call-ups Brandon Abbass and Dylan Chisholm in the lineup after Dylan MacKinnon and Logan Crosby were scratched due to illness. Reece Peitzsche was a last minute scratch with an upper body injury while Zachary L’Heureux and Evan Boucher remained out of the lineup indefinitely with upper body injuries. Rookie defenceman Owen Phillips missed his first-of-six games while attending the World U17 Hockey Challenge in Langley and Delta, B.C.
The Mooseheads will be back in action on the road on Friday night at 7pm against Cape Breton and will return to Scotiabank Centre ice on Sunday afternoon at 2pm for Kids Day versus Saint John. Tickets are on sale now at TicketAtlantic.com.
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