It’s back to looking bleak for the Halifax Mooseheads.
Just after they breathed new life into their playoff series with the Quebec Remparts with a pair of wins earlier in the week, the Mooseheads are back in a hole. They lost 4-2 in Game 5 at the Centre Videotron in Quebec City on Saturday to fall behind 3-2 in the first-round best-of-seven.
Despite the importance of the game, there was no obvious urgency from the Mooseheads through the first two periods. They only put five shots on goal in a scoreless first period and then surrendered three straight goals in the second to seal their fate.
Even after getting one goal back from Raphael Lavoie just before the second intermission to make it 3-1, the Mooseheads couldn’t fluster the Remparts.
Penalties and special teams also played a part in the outcome. The Mooseheads went 0-for-7 on the power play and gave up two goals on the penalty kill. They also lost defenceman Jared McIsaac in the second period when he received a major and a game misconduct for a hit to the head of Quebec forward Spencer Blackwell.
McIsaac received an automatic one-game suspension for the major and will miss Game 6 on Monday night in Halifax.
Matthew Grouchy, Pier-Olivier Lacombe, Edouard St-Laurent and Pierrick Dube were Quebec scorers and Carmine-Anthony Pagliarulo stopped 22 shots. Arnaud Durandeau scored Halifax’s other goal in the final minute and Alexis Gravel made 30 saves.
If necessary, Game 7 is on Tuesday at the Scotiabank Centre.
Notes: Denis Toner, BO Groulx, Marcel Barinka, Alexis Sansfacon and Cole Stewart did not play for Halifax. ... There were 9,105 fans at the game. ... Fall River’s Andrew Coxhead had two assists and was the first star. He is tied for the scoring lead on the Remparts with six points. ... The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles lead their best-of-seven with the Charlottetown Islanders 3-2. Game 6 is in Sydney on Sunday. ... The Sherbrooke Phoenix and Drummondville Voltigeurs both won their series 4-1 and have advanced to the second round.
