The Halifax Mooseheads faced the Cape Breton Eagles on the road on Friday night, emerging victorious with a score of 5-2 in the latest installment of the Nova Scotia rivalry at Centre 200. This win marked a significant achievement for the Mooseheads, improving their season record to 22-21-3-2.
Halifax opened the scoring early in the first period at 3:36 when Cameron Minella made a clever play along the boards, recovering the puck and sending it towards the Eagles' net. The puck managed to slip past goaltender Félix Hamel, marking Minella's third goal with the Mooseheads. The visitors doubled their lead at 5:44 when Daniel Walters received a pass from Quinn Kennedy behind the Cape Breton net and launched a shot that found its way into the back of the net.
In response, former Moosehead player Reece Peitzsche brought Cape Breton onto the scoreboard at 11:39, connecting on a precise shot that evaded the glove of Halifax’s goaltender Owen Bresson. The Mooseheads quickly answered back, restoring their two-goal advantage as captain Owen Philips blasted a powerful shot following a setup from Malik L’Italien. However, the fast-paced play continued as the Eagles responded just 17 seconds later when Maxime Sauthier skillfully chipped the puck over Bresson, narrowing the Mooseheads' lead to one.
The second period concluded without any scoring, maintaining tension as both teams battled for control. It wasn't until the third period that Walters found the back of the net again at 3:59, firing a shot off a drop pass from Caylen Blake past Hamel, extending Halifax's lead. As the game progressed, Cape Breton decided to pull their goaltender at 16:39 in a desperate move to level the score. However, this decision backfired when Shawn Carrier captured an empty-net goal, his 28th of the season, sealing the Mooseheads' victory in the dying moments of the game.
Daniel Walters emerged as the standout player of the night, being named the first star for his remarkable performance, which included two goals and an assist. Maxime Sauthier earned second-star recognition for Cape Breton, while Owen Bresson secured the third star after an impressive showing in goal, making a total of 35 saves throughout the contest.
The Mooseheads will be back in action on Saturday, February 7, as they return home for the second game of the weekend series against the Eagles. This matchup presents an opportunity for Halifax to further extend its lead in their ongoing season series. Fans can tune in for live coverage on 95.7 NewsRadio, with Garreth MacDonald hosting the pregame show at 6:30 p.m. ahead of the scheduled puck drop at 7 p.m.
