The Halifax Mooseheads continued their final road trip in Quebec on Friday night, suffering an 8-3 defeat against the Chicoutimi Saguenéens at the Centre Georges-Vézina. This loss marked a troubling point in the season for the Mooseheads, as they faced significant challenges on the ice.
The match began with both teams exchanging quick goals. Just over a minute into the game, Shawn Carrier assisted Quinn Kennedy, who found the net past Chicoutimi goaltender Jacob Brochu. However, the Saguenéens quickly retaliated two minutes later when Alonso Gosselin scored from the left-wing circle, leveling the game at one all.
Halifax managed to reclaim the lead at 5:20 in the first period when Liam Kilfoil set up Antoine Fontaine, who snapped the puck past Brochu. Yet again, Chicoutimi responded swiftly, with Christophe Berthelot tying the game. The intensity escalated when Caylen Blake and Alonso Gosselin dropped the gloves, marking Blake's first fight in the QMJHL. Both players received matching game misconducts after officials stepped in to separate them.
The first period concluded with Chicoutimi taking control of the game, scoring two additional goals from Alex Huang and Émile Guité, which put the Saguenéens ahead 4-2. This late surge by the home team indicated their growing dominance in the contest.
In the second period, Liam Kilfoil once again played a key role for Halifax, scoring his 17th goal of the season just two minutes in. He capitalized on a fortunate bounce from the net, bringing the Mooseheads within one goal on the power play. However, Chicoutimi swiftly shifted the momentum back in their favor, dominating the remainder of the period with three unanswered goals.
Korney Korneyev got the scoring started for the Saguenéens, with his goal undergoing a brief review before being allowed. Jonathan Prud’homme then extended the Mooseheads' deficit with a goal seven minutes before the period's end, and Berthelot capped off the frame by tipping in Huang’s shot, bringing the score to 7-3 in favor of Chicoutimi.
Following Berthelot’s goal, Mooseheads' goaltender Nicolas Cirka was replaced by Jacob Steinman in an effort to stop the relentless Saguenéens’ offense. However, the change did not halt Chicoutimi's scoring. Nathan Lecompte netted the final goal of the night at 11:23 in the third period, sealing an 8-3 victory for the Saguenéens.
As a result of the loss, the Mooseheads fell to a record of 15-25-7, while the Saguenéens improved to 25-12-9. The Mooseheads will now head to Quebec City to conclude their road trip against the Quebec Ramparts at the Centre Vidéotron on Saturday, February 1st. The puck drop is scheduled for 5 p.m., and fans can catch all the action on 95.7 NewsRadio.
