The Halifax Mooseheads are one win away from reaching the Gilles Courteau Trophy Finals with a 5-0 win over the Sherbrooke Phoenix at the Scotiabank Center in Halifax.
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Nova Scotia is through the last three games of the series after Phoenix won the first two games in Halifax.
The hosts started the game with a bang as Czech defender David Moravec scored his first goal of the playoffs by beating Phoenix goaltender Olivier Adam with a precision shot from the blocking side.
Moravec also threaded the needle a second time in the game when he accepted Zachary L’Heureux’s pass from the top of the circles late in the middle frame.
Estrie goalkeeper Olivier Adam was ruled out early in the second period after allowing three goals on 14 shots.
His backup Samuel St-Hilaire saved nine of the 11 pucks he faced.
Masked Mooseheads man Mathis Rousseau recorded his first shutout of this postseason playoff.
Evan Boucher, Attilio Biasca and Zachary L’Heureux also flashed the red light when their team won.
Keep in mind that the Mooseheads and QMJHL’s regular-season leading scorer Jordan Dumais is still missing from an upper-body injury sustained in the second game of this series.
positive in defeat
Phoenix driver Stéphane Julien valued the commitment of his players, even if the result was not in their favour.
“I liked our game despite everything. The boys worked and we had a lot of chances to score and their goalkeeper was very good. I didn’t feel that the guys gave up. The guys were at the bottom and they wanted to win and I think we still have a chance to win this series,” Julien said during the press conference after the meeting.
The Mooseheads are very close to the gate
Mooseheads coach Sylvain Favreau said his players showed consistency throughout the clash.
“After game number two, I wanted consistency for 60 minutes and I think we’ve discovered a team [celle des Mooseheads] who could be more consistent in our games. It is certain that the phoenix was dominant at times, and that is correct […]. If we can play consistently, we give ourselves the chance to get our fill,” said Sylvain Favreau after the duel.
Sherbrooke residents will look to tie the series in game number six, which takes place at the Palais des Sports Léopold Drolet in Sherbrooke from 5pm on Sunday.